Fox Sports Radio's Countdown to Kickoff Presented by BetMGM

Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Stark, Rock from the Beginning, Rock from the beginning.

Speaker 2 (00:02):
They're working today Fox Sports Radios Countdown to Kickoff, presented
by Naked Legendary. We're setting you up with the information
you need to watch your team win.

Speaker 3 (00:15):
Three is the eight game.

Speaker 1 (00:16):
We're here to break it all time.

Speaker 2 (00:20):
This is Fox Sports Radios Countdown to Kickoff, presented by
bet mg app. Now we're live from your tail game.
Here's Brian no h ear NFL Betteran, Jeff Schwartz and
Professional Sports Better Bill Crack Krackenberger.

Speaker 3 (00:38):
Oh what is going on? Welcome in happy Sunday to
your happy divisional round of the NFL Playoffs. Good morning, Jeff,
Good morning Crack. I'll tell you what, crack. It's your
favorite three letter word. And it was all over X yesterday.
Fix the fix is in. It's fixed.

Speaker 1 (00:57):
Come on, man, Like, what were they saying? Was fixed?

Speaker 3 (01:00):
The cook's non catch or that was my time? Yeah?

Speaker 1 (01:05):
I mean to have that prop over and to lose
it so many different times stepped out of bounds by
half a yard of penalty on one play. I mean,
I think he had six other throws to him that
touched his hand, six and all three of them I
mean sorry, All six of them were not a catch.
We needed one more catch, we needed three. Yeah, that
was that was a bad That was a bad beat.

(01:27):
That was a bad beat. I think the McCaffrey game,
the way we played the over on the yards there
was a bad beat because he had thirty nine in
the first half and got hurt and you figured they
were going to be coming from behind, and that also
was a bad beat. But you know, hey, it happens.
It's it's a part of the you know, you just
go with the process, and you know, all year it's

(01:48):
been very successful and these little bumps come along the way.
You know.

Speaker 4 (01:53):
Here's the deal about the Cooks play, Yeah, is that
it shouldn't be so convoluted where we don't know whether
or not it's a catch an interception, where you can
watch the play and not really know how the NFL
should rule, right, because you know, if there was no
defender there and he caught the ball, I think it

(02:15):
back there was a defender there, he catches the ball,
defender tags him as he hits the ground, and the
ball pops loose. Incomplete pass, Okay, I think we agree
on that.

Speaker 3 (02:24):
In complete pass, you've got to complete the process of
the catch.

Speaker 4 (02:27):
But it appeared listening to the explanation yesterday that that
same interpretation does not count on this type of play
where maybe dual possession or has possession down, ball ripped out.
I mean, in real time, I thought it was an interception.
Maybe I'm letting the social media take over here because

(02:48):
think social media agrees it was a catch. Maybe just
they want Josh Allen to win so badly, which feels
like the sentiment on social media that it was a catch.
But the thing I go back to it like Cooks
can't let that happen, you know, like you can't let
a defender rip a ball from you. That game was over.
You catch that ball. I mean, I think prayer makes
the kick right. Game is over, it's done, You've won

(03:09):
the game. You've advanced, no matter how poorly you played.
And they were minus five and turnovers. It was not
the Bill's strongest game of the season, and they lost
the game. The look the pass interferences. The first one
was bad, but there was a rough in the passer
Bosa hit hit nixt eight seconds too late, so it
wouldn't matter anyways, And the second one was past reference.
But I just hate the idea that we reward a

(03:31):
passing interference for a poorly thrown ball. Yes, the wide
receiver did beat White. The ball was a way under thrown.
It was. And you know, the one thing I just
I pushed back so much on is people sitting like
we are. Maybe you're driving, sitting on a couch, listen
to us. They scream, just turn your head around. If
you're the defensive back. Fouris that easy to run full

(03:55):
speed and then the last second turn around and like
find the ball somewhere. That's not the way it works.
You do it. You run outside right now, go outside,
run full speed, and then at some random point when
you're running, try to turn around and see what happens.

Speaker 1 (04:09):
You're gonna fall trunk.

Speaker 4 (04:11):
You gonna fall right in your face. And the idea that,
like you expect NFL players to just do that and
then also not interfere. Right, you can't turn around and
then run into the guy or you gotta stop, turn around,
put your hands up. It's not gonna happen because he
was beat. He was Rigie beat. That's my point about
all of this. And so in the end, though Buffalo

(04:32):
made way too many mistakes, that's the story of this game,
right is the mistake. It was ten to ten with
thirty seconds left in the first half and a half
ended twenty to ten.

Speaker 3 (04:43):
Denver was up the fumble by Josh Allen before halftime.
Correct is unforgivable.

Speaker 4 (04:49):
So you know, as much you want to talk about
the cooks and this and that, I mean, the fact
is Buffalo, even with all the minus four and turnovers,
had opportunity to win the game and didn't do it.
And we have to be harsh on Josh Allen like
we would on any other quarterback. Lamar Patrick Mahomes. Yes,

(05:09):
in these games he has fifteen turnovers to me, fifteen
fumbles and fifteen playoff games. Can't do that.

Speaker 3 (05:17):
No, you can't know.

Speaker 4 (05:19):
One of them was well, one of them was wasn't
his fault, he got got blindsided whatever. The other one
was absolutely his fault, right, absolutely, the you know that
one of the interceptions wasn't the other one was a
terrible throw. Horrible It's a throw late over the middle,
like it's a horrible throw. The safety with on the
other side was just standing right there. So these are
things that that have to be addressed to the same

(05:39):
with we address other quarterbacks. I do think this loss
is going to break the Bills. I think that this
is going to be I don't know what it looks
like this offseason, but I think this time next year
they're gonna be eight to nine, seven and ten like.

(05:59):
This is one of those losses I think, man like right,
like you look at it the way that Josh and
I appreciate the emotion of the game, and Josh was upset,
Dion Dawkins was upset. Mcdermots, yeah, doing his thing is
I'm gonna protect Buffalow. Great, you're doing your understand that.
But this was the year guys, no Kansas City, no

(06:20):
no Joe. But they put the graphic up Josh Allen undefeating,
the playoffs were not fixing Joe Burrow, Patrick Mahomes. This
was their time and their team was not good enough.
Now some interest on defense, absolutely, but really wasn't good
enough on defense? Right offensively, you're number one white out
as who shakir, it's not good enough. Your team was
not good enough, even if completely healthy, to beat an AFC.

(06:44):
That's not very I don't think they I don't think
Denver is like argument with a buddy. Yes, look they're fine.
I don't.

Speaker 3 (06:50):
I don't think they're there.

Speaker 4 (06:52):
I think Seattle would smoke Denver if if even a
Bonex was healthy in the postseason.

Speaker 3 (06:56):
Well, this is the thing, man, If you look at
the Bills turnovers right that they showed us stat during
the game, that just blows my mind and puts in
perspective like what Denver had to work with winning the
turnover battle the way they did so the Bills. This
is heading into yesterday's game. Okay, road teams in playoff
history that were minus three or worse in turnover differential,

(07:20):
their record was one and eighty five, right, Okay, Like,
if you turn it over three more times to your
opponent as the road team, you don't win those games.
The Bills were trying to make the record two in
eighty five. They were minus four and that's an overtime
game that was a millimeter away from a Brandon Cooks
catch and a game winning field goal. And the Broncos

(07:42):
lose a game being plus four in turnover differential. They're
an average football team, man, they are nothing special at all.
And now they don't have bo Nicks, so it's like
good luck with Jared Stidham. But to be plus four
and to barely eke it out. That shows you, like
how low the seed is for the Broncos. I don't
know what else you need to look at to see

(08:03):
that so vividly, like that's it's a parent, it's right
in front of your nose.

Speaker 1 (08:06):
You know. I was reading. I didn't really read much
social media, so I just clicked on a little bit.
You're right that people are talking about things here. And
it was actually a pretty well ref game until the overtime.
I mean, the ref's kind of let them play all
game and then let the defense.

Speaker 4 (08:19):
Being really much that bills off its last holding.

Speaker 1 (08:23):
But to overtime, I have a question for both of
you guys and for everyone. So I really don't understand
that why was that catch not reviewable?

Speaker 3 (08:35):
Should have been They did the replay assist because it's
a turnover, you know, they do the automatic review, and
they they it was so fast. That was like McDermott
tried to challenge it, and they're like that that's their
first time out like on with business. It was like, wait,
we're not gonna stop it and look at it like
that's a pretty significant play. But what they all it

(08:56):
was and Jeff alluded to this, that that Brandon has
to complete the process of the catch to then be
down by contact. He never completed the process of the catch,
and Jeff alluded to this, Imagine if no one is
around Brandon Cooks. This is what makes sense in my mind.
No one is around him, he catches the ball, He's

(09:16):
going down to the ground, and he just doesn't survive
the ground. Right, like the ball pops loose. He doesn't
maintain possession even with no one around him. That is
not a catch. He did not complete the process of
the catch. So now the way the play actually unfolded,
he doesn't complete the process of the catch. He therefore
cannot be down by contact. And that's when McMillan wrestled

(09:38):
the ball away from him. So they got it right,
but it was a weird path where they don't stop
the game and don't take a significant review. I've seen
calls that were more than obvious and they review them
for two minutes and it's like, we're not even going
to stop the game for that. So it was a
weird process, but they got it right.

Speaker 4 (09:56):
So Jeene Sarahtor put out a tweet What Times around
thirty I looked at like a fake watch I have
on my wrist, and I'll actually have a watch on
my wrist thirty minutes ago. And it's interesting. He's trying
to explain this play. It's the first thing he says,
and I agree with that the league should should review
plays at a certain speed because you watch it full speed,

(10:16):
it looks like a clear interception exactly absolutely, when when
you don't, you slow it down. And I've argued this
for a long time because I've always argued that phiciating,
I think is better than we give her credit for.
Because they have to they have to do things in
real time. We get opportunity in slow motion, you know
a lot with the toush push stuff. We're like, it
looks like it's off sides in slow motion, but if
you're an official, it's really hard to see if it's

(10:38):
off side. You just don't call off sides. Right, Well,
he says this, okay, So he says the three three
things have to matter for a catch, Okay, secure control
the ball where he he agrees that that there has
been secure control of the ball here two feet in bounds.
Obviously now after A and B had been fulfilled clearly
performs any act common to the game, or may take
control of the ball long enough to do so. See

(11:00):
is where like a judgment call is made, right, So
this is a judgment call. The judgment call here was
obviously he didn't finish, you know, perform an act of
comment to the game before the ball was taken away
from him by the Denver defensive back. And again I
contend like just in generally speaking, Cooks, just can't let
this happen, right, Like you had the ball first. You

(11:21):
have to make sure that you end the play with
the ball or no one has the ball right And
so that that to me is like the biggest thing
of the play. That's a great play by the defensive back.
And the momentum of him sort of flying over might
have helped jar the ball loose. But the fact is, Cooks,
that's a game winning catch. And crack manch earlier he
had a catch on the same drive or did get
a flat You get a second foot in bounds, like

(11:41):
that's a common thing for a receiver. One foot. You
got to stay in there long enough to hit the
other foot down right, like we see guys do all
the time. And he was out of control and he
was able to complete the catch. If he catches that
one there, I think they're in field goal range, right,
so it actually that might have been the drive.

Speaker 3 (11:59):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (12:04):
So look again, Buffalo made too many mistakes. Denver made
enough plays. And the argument with my friends, he said, well,
Denver just makes enough plays. They've won eleven straight one
score games. It's not Patrick mahomes Man, this is not
It's not the same thing as what the Chiefs are doing.
Last season. I thought about the time. One score games
have got to be viewed differently in my opinion, in
my book. Now I understand over a large sample size

(12:25):
they end up sort of probably this discussion doesn't matter.
But if you're up ten points and a team scores
a touchdown or a field goal under two minutes left
and the on site kicking, you kneel the ball, and
it's not I mean, is that really a one score game?
Is that really? Is that really a one score game?
Probably not? Right, like probably not like it's just like

(12:47):
the other argument. This year, the Chiefs were like, oh,
in eight to one score games, four of them they
were down ten with two minutes left and scored at
the end. It doesn't to me. It doesn't count. Denver, though,
is playing one score games like they're three, four, six, seven,
like they're playing more what we call what I consider
fifty fifty games, right, kind of up up what eleven
of those in a row? Now? Bonick's being out is

(13:08):
so fascinating to me because you know, I've broke Michel twice,
so I feel like I'm not an expert in this,
but I couldn't believe he finished the game on a
broken ankle, like not not you know, sometimes like like
what Daniel Jones had, right, you can break your non
weight burn bone and still play football. He has to
have immediate surgery, like he's find Alabama like to probably

(13:29):
see doctor Andrews to get this done on Tuesday. I
don't know what he has. He's able to make a throw,
a kneel down, very impressive. He did a postgame interview.

Speaker 3 (13:40):
Right, Ah, that's the weird thing. It looked like such
a mundane play. I couldn't I thought it was like
a fake tweet after the game.

Speaker 4 (13:48):
I'm like, I thought Joe, I thought I thought she
was I was like, what what? What?

Speaker 1 (13:52):
So the thing?

Speaker 4 (13:53):
I think what happened? I think he just you could
tell he kind of just like it wasn't hit like
I got, I got just.

Speaker 3 (13:58):
Put on the brakes and that's what did it.

Speaker 4 (14:00):
Right when he when he went when he jumped up
in the air to avoid a tackle and just hit
his foot awkwardly, it's I think that's what happened. It
looked like he sort of like jammed his foot awkwardly
in the ground. I mean, my I had a pile
follow me twice, and so that's typically what how you
break an ankle. You don't break an ankle like he did.
So I'm kind of curious like what the actual injury

(14:22):
is because that's a very quick like he's out, he's done,
like he's done for the season, like he's surgery Tuesday.
So will bummer. I'll tell you what though. You text
me this yesterday, Brian. Yeah, you know, New England goes
to Denver. What is it, crack? You think next week?

Speaker 3 (14:37):
Doing right?

Speaker 5 (14:38):
SI?

Speaker 4 (14:41):
If it's six, I'm taking I'll tell you this. I
like Denver first half already. I'll tell you what. Because
people are going to hammer whoever the opponent is. I
think they'd rather play New England, by the way than
play Houston. I mean that deference would be really would
be a lot of trouble. Remember when when when Sean

(15:04):
Payne did not have Drew Brees in New Orleans, ye
have Teddy Bridgewater, who's better than yard steadem they manage
an offense like they were okay on offense. Right, I
wouldn't just count them out in this game. I got
two weeks to prepare Super Bowl. I would I think
that's a little different. But people are gonna count them
out immediately.

Speaker 3 (15:21):
I would not do it, right, You're right, because listen,
you're at home. They're a wounded animal. You see this
all the time in the NFL, these teams, especially with
the real defense. They didn't play good football yesterday, but
they have a real defense, and you're gonna see a
team that's just clawing forever. They're gonna be the ultimate
pain in the booty man, like, they're gonna be very

(15:42):
hard to beat in their own place. With their backup quarterback,
they are gonna be more than a handful. So I
would never count them out. They're absolutely live to win
that game next time.

Speaker 1 (15:52):
How big is that downgrade from Nicks to Stidham. I mean,
of course the downgrade, but how big is it that
the line will be over affected by the public. Yeah,
to be real honest with you, I was gonna mention
I could see myself being on the Broncos next week.
I just think this may be too much of any
overreaction and the Yeah, you're right, Jef to the Patriots

(16:14):
for sure, they would rather play them than have to
go against that Texas defense with a quarterback they haven't
used all season. It's gonna be interesting to see what happens.
But I'll just tell you I was gonna mention that
I don't do a lot of NFL sides. This could
be situational. It depends what the line is when it
comes out, because everyone is saying the Broncos are done.

(16:36):
Nice season. Talk to you guys next year.

Speaker 3 (16:38):
No, I wouldn't go that far. But that's the thing.
It's weird. It's a little bit nuanced where I don't
think any of us has bo Nicks, like top five,
top ten. You know, he's averaged, he's somewhere between average
and good. But he had the same exact passer rating
as Bryce Young of the Carolina Panthers. Like Justin Fields
had a higher passer rating than him this season. Like,
let's not go crazy but like the dry off from

(17:00):
Nicks to Jared Stidham has a thrown to pass since
twenty twenty three. I just picture Philip Rivers like, man,
that's a long time, right, Like, that's a long time
without an NFL pass. And he's just gonna waltz into
the AFC title game, maybe against the Texans ferocious defense, Like,
that's not gonna be easy at all, So you're gonna

(17:20):
have to find ways to hide him. You don't have
a very good running game, so it's gonna be a
defensive struggle whoever they play next week. But yeah, I
wouldn't cunt them out completely. But yeah, Crack, even though
we don't have bo Nick super high on the list
of top quarterbacks, there's still a significant drop off from
him to stid There's a big drop off between those.

Speaker 4 (17:40):
There is, And that game yesterday too, was another reminder
about getting the best of a number, right. So in
this time of the year, there's obviously less games, and
these numbers move very fast on the prop market, And
Crack handed out a rushing prop for for McLoughlin and
the rest of the world was on it, and that
number went up like six yards. He didn't cover the

(18:02):
closing number, but he covered the original number. So when
you make these wagers on props, guys, get the best
number you can and maybe skip the bad ones because
the bad numbers are bad for a reason. Right, If
you miss it, you miss it. There's times I've missed
I've missed it. Just that's just what it is. But
don't don't bet props on guys like that that are
six or seven yards different than the opening number. Just

(18:24):
not gonna get home. It's it's just a bad bet.

Speaker 1 (18:26):
That's way too much of a move. Yeah, the other
way is probably.

Speaker 3 (18:29):
Right right right, Yeah, at that point, yeah, you go
the other way. If it hikes up that much, it's crazy.
It can literally be one yard. I got burned by that.
Like Krack gave us a great prop last week, Juwan
Jennings against the Eagles, and he gave it forty four
and a half.

Speaker 4 (18:45):
Yeah, and he.

Speaker 3 (18:46):
Has this one reception for forty five yards, and I
text the group Juwan little money bag emoji, and then
I go back and look, I'm like, oh no, I
got it at forty five and a half. I got
hooked one yard.

Speaker 1 (18:57):
One yard. We have that, MGM, I think we got it.

Speaker 4 (19:00):
Yeah. Yeah, these playoff numbers move so fast, they moved
lest But we think about props today. I'll tell you
what crack I'm I think I'm on on your side
now where I might just be done with sides. I
think I'm just it's just it's time prompts. Man, I'm
crushing my props. You're doing great crack my own personal
prop like I but tell you what, man, these sides

(19:23):
I quit this week I haven't done better side this weekend.
It'spending life changing. I haven't done it yet.

Speaker 3 (19:28):
No sweats, you know, you're just sipping pina coladas, just
counting your cash over there. It's a beautiful man.

Speaker 1 (19:34):
Yea.

Speaker 4 (19:35):
On my own podcast, I'm three no so far, not
one side for this weekend, not one side like I
just I'm just not We're just not doing We're just
not doing sides.

Speaker 3 (19:41):
Anymore, not doing it out all right. Uh, We've got
Bill Krackenberger, professional sports handicapper, Jeff Schwartz, eight year NFL veteran,
I'm Brian.

Speaker 2 (19:50):
No.

Speaker 3 (19:50):
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(20:11):
Make it legendary.

Speaker 1 (20:12):
All right?

Speaker 3 (20:12):
Coming up next, did last night change the way you
think of this team at all? We'll get into that.
It is Fox Sports Radios Countdown to Kickoff, presented by BETMGM.

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betmgm app. All right, on the NFC side, last night
you had the Seahawks bulldoze the forty nine Ers forty

(21:44):
one to six. The crazy thing to me is if
I told you before the game, hey, Jackson Smith and
Jigba their stud wide receiver, He's gonna have only three
catches for nineteen yards. He does have a touchdown reception.
What do you think the game is? What do you
think this is? No one's gonna say. I'm gonna say
Seattle forty one to three, forty one to six, Like

(22:05):
no one's saying that. But that's what happened, man, and man,
that Seahawks defense is nasty. And the forty nine Ers, man,
the injury bug. You talk about hitting them. It didn't
just hit them. It It did way more than that
with the amount of talent that was missed. But I
guess the question now is did last night cause you
to think any differently about the Seahawks going forward or

(22:28):
do you still feel the same way even after that
lamb basting of the forty nine Ers last night?

Speaker 4 (22:33):
Uh? I just don't trust Sam Darnold still. Yeah, I
mean twelve of seventeen one twenty four. Yeah, I think
he was great last night. The run game has gone
a lot better, which is which is huge. And Charbonney
did I think did come back in the game, maybe
for one play after he got hurt his knee.

Speaker 3 (22:51):
I don't know. I'm not sure he made it.

Speaker 1 (22:53):
I don't know.

Speaker 4 (22:53):
Maybe maybe it make it back in. They didn't have
to do anything because they the Niners, weren't, you know,
score a touchdown in the opening play of the game.
On a kickoff return, you go eleven plays for forty
four yards in the field goal, then you get a
short field touchdown, then punt, and then you had a
nice long touchdown to end the first half, and then
the game. Basically the game was over after that. So

(23:16):
I don't really change my I think the Rams will
will beat them if they go to Seattle next week.
I think they'll I think they'll smash the Bears. The
Bears end up winning this.

Speaker 3 (23:23):
Game today, Oh gotcha?

Speaker 1 (23:25):
But got you?

Speaker 4 (23:26):
But I but I I just I know, I don't
want to change my pint on Seattle. Yeah, you know,
they again like they it looks like an offense that's
designed around protecting their quarterback, and I just don't I
don't like to see that, you know, Like you you
watch an offense and you can see which coordinators really
trust their their quarterback, which which don't. And to me,

(23:49):
I the oblique thing is still gonna be a problem
all week. Right, He's gonna have to get whatever toward
all whatever they're gon shoot him up with to get
through the next game is not going away, right, it's
not going away. Probably won't throw very much this week.
Can practice. The defense is good. But the Niners. The
Dinners moved the ball fine early in the game, they
just ran out of bodies. They ran out of of
of people. McAffrey gets hurt, Tongus gets hurt. Your your

(24:12):
piarcel appeared to really be appsent from the game plan.
I'm not sure Robinson had one target. I mean it
just was not It's.

Speaker 3 (24:19):
Yeah, I think he had one catch for one yard.
I go back to that line crazy.

Speaker 4 (24:23):
Even with the Niners, they are and I actually is
the one I thought Seattle would smoke them. I didn't
bet on Seattle because again I've quit sides, but I
did do the teaser crack. I'm not gonna lie. I
did do the teaser of the Bills Seattle teaser.

Speaker 1 (24:37):
You go.

Speaker 4 (24:37):
Now, my buddy got got got minus one ten, So
that that was that was that was that was hopped
in there. Yeah yeah, yeah, that's uh yeah, those those
places still exist.

Speaker 1 (24:49):
It's a place in talent here charges one for that
minus one for a six point teaser.

Speaker 3 (24:54):
Yeah man, what is that? What is that crack?

Speaker 4 (24:57):
Yeah yeah, yeah, yeah yeah. I mean look, but the
reason why I picked Seattle was like, even if even
kills healthy, it's still Juwan Jennings, Brian rob Juwan Jennings,
DeMarcus Robinson, you know, Ricky Piersoll. It's just not a
good group of wide receivers. And I give Shahan credit.

(25:18):
I think party is better than Darnell. I think we don't.

Speaker 1 (25:19):
I don't know.

Speaker 4 (25:20):
I just mean that's not He's a very good quarterback.
He's just he just can't do there's not enough to
be done.

Speaker 3 (25:24):
That game, it was that he ran around for over
four hundred yards. Yeah, insane, some insane number.

Speaker 4 (25:31):
So look the Niners. Eventually it comes to an end
and they're just team is too beat up. Now they
have to move an on tire electrical substation to get
the injuries under control. Did you see that story? But
the electoral substation next to next the facility, So the
Niners practice field, there's an electoral substation or some sort
of power plant right next to it. And the conspiracy

(25:54):
theorist on the old Internet would like you to believe
that that the reason they're they're very injured is because
they practiced next to the substation. Even though they've been
there like thirty five years. They've been there forever. They
they have had many years of no injuries like they've
been healthy, Like the Hardball years there were super super healthier.

(26:16):
In the Harbor years, they've had the practice feel there forever,
even though the facility the same hasn't been there forever.
So it's the substation has to be.

Speaker 3 (26:25):
Wow, So are these the same people if we if
we check their X feeds? Are they still the same people?

Speaker 1 (26:30):
Say?

Speaker 3 (26:30):
Fix with the Bills, Broncos?

Speaker 4 (26:33):
The fix was in, But what did you want that?
I feel like if you were fixing the game, you
would fix it for Buffalo.

Speaker 3 (26:39):
Oh absolutely, storyline, Absolutely you would fix it for Buffalo.
Like arguably the best quarterback in the game, you would. Yeah,
you would fix it for Buffalo all day long.

Speaker 4 (26:48):
Absolutely you would. So it's I just don't So, I
just don't understand that the fixed crowd, like, who's there
was one? There was one?

Speaker 5 (26:58):
Was?

Speaker 4 (26:58):
Oh last week? How about one? Remember Matt Stafford took
a knee at the very end of the Panthers game,
but took like three yards on his knee because he
was trying to kill a little bit of time, and
people were complaining because he went he went from over
his rushing to under his rushing on that kneel down
and people were complaining that, like the call was in
from New York, so you think that that there was

(27:21):
a call. There was a call, so how did have work?
That means someone had a call someone in the in
the rams, like in the booth to relate to Sean McVay.

Speaker 3 (27:32):
I know you're trying to win this playoff game, but Sean,
listen that we've got we've got a prop bet on
the line here, So he's got to how much money you'd.

Speaker 4 (27:40):
Have to be Like the dude's betting on Towson four
hundred and fifty thousand dollars a tousand game would be
the ones making the call, who's making the call, who's
calling Sean McVay and telling him that Stafford props are
so important he needs to take three extra yards on
his Neil dead.

Speaker 1 (27:57):
People think you can get down on player props. I mean,
like I have like five spots in town here and
I have really good connections. By the way, I can't
get down five figures on a prop bet, Like it'd
be really tough. Like how much people just think so much,
especially press people that are doing interviews and reporters. They

(28:18):
just think, oh my god, the everyone's stealing everyone's making
all this money and there's so much fit. Listen as
far as going back to that, like what Jeff said Towson,
there's the first half bets. They were talking about making
half a million dollar first half bets. I have giant
connections to make bets on sports. I don't know how

(28:39):
a team of people, a sports betting syndicate can even
get down one hundred thousand on a first half. How
did they do that of an added game? Like, come on, how.

Speaker 4 (28:49):
They do that? Like seriously, how they So For those
who missed the story this week, it broke over this
week there was a college basketball scandal that involved like
twenty five schools and there were players they were playing
like the week before, literally players playing now blue chips.
They're throwing games right Like we watched the video that's
out of these the players doing it. It looks like
blue chips, Like they're throwing bad passes for not like

(29:12):
it very clearly looks fixed now obviously. And and the
people the the the purpators were getting down four hundred
and fift first half of an extra game. Now. I
also one of the sports books was took a one
hundred and two thousand dollars bet on a Chinese basketball
soization gaming, they're taking it somehow. I don't know where's

(29:33):
this coming. I don't know. I don't know. I don't
know how they did it.

Speaker 1 (29:37):
And I'm not saying this stuff. There was stuff going on, absolutely,
I'm just talking about the the numbers that they were
saying they were getting down. It's just crazy.

Speaker 3 (29:45):
Well, that's yeah, That's that's why I wondered, is this
like one major transaction or a series of transactions that
added up to that? That was my only question. But
if it's like, yeah, give me a half a mill
on the first half line, what was it like Kent
State Buffalo or what are we doing over here?

Speaker 1 (30:03):
See if I Low can get us down some here,
there you go. He's got good connections.

Speaker 3 (30:09):
Whenever you need to get a half mill on a
first half under, you know on a thousand game that
I Low as your man. He's with us this morning,
Isaac Low and gron what's going on, Bud.

Speaker 6 (30:19):
Let me check my couch cushions. I'll be back with
you in about five minutes. I'll take care of it.

Speaker 2 (30:24):
Guys.

Speaker 6 (30:25):
We have some fresh details about the controversy in the
Broncos Bills overtime with the pass interference call that's coming
up in just moments. First things first, Broncos quarterback Bone
Nix will miss the rest of the playoffs after breaking
a bone and his ankle in overtime of their thirty
three to thirty win over Buffalo, so Jarrett Stidham will

(30:46):
take over as Denver's starting QB.

Speaker 4 (30:49):
Now.

Speaker 6 (30:49):
The Broncos, of course one thanks in part to that
controversial overtime interception j Kwon McMillan tearing the ball away
from Buffalo's Brandon Cook's. Referee Carl Sheffer's told a pool
reporter Cook's quote was going to the ground as part
of the process of the catch and lost possession of
the ball. The defender gained possession and is the one

(31:11):
that completed the process of the catch unquote. Now, Buffalo
head coach Sean McDermott conducted his typical postgame news conference,
but he read those pool report comments from referee Carl
Scheffers while he was on the Buffalo Bill's team plane,
and at that point he called Jay Skirsky of the

(31:34):
Buffalo News again from the Bills team plane and said
the following quote, that's a catch all the way. I
sat in my locker and I looked at it probably
twenty times, and nobody can convince me that that ball
is not caught and in possession of Buffalo. I have
no idea how the NFL handled it the way that

(31:56):
it did. There is no time spent with the head
official going underneath the hood or to the replay booth,
right to the monitor. I don't understand how that works.
I don't understand how that can be the case when
it's such a close play, so basically there is one
person ruling on that play, or only New York ruling
on that play. I don't agree with that. I don't

(32:18):
understand why the head official who is at the game
does not get a chance to look at the same
thing people in New York are ruling on. Unquote again,
that said by Sean McDermott, the Bills head coach, to
Jay Skersky of the Buffalo News while he was calling
him from the Bills team playing also Saturday night Seahawks

(32:39):
over the forty nine Ers forty one to six. The
Atlanta Falcons hired former Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski
as their new head coach. ESPN just reported the Pittsburgh
Steelers expected to speak with former Packers and Cowboys head
coach Mike McCarthy about their head coaching job. Guys, back
to you, thank.

Speaker 3 (32:56):
You, Ilo. It is Fox Sports Radio is Countdown to
kick Off, presented by Okay, real Fast Sean McDermott. He's
talking about two separate things. Okay, he's talking about the
replay process and then also the catch itself. Like, I'm
with him on the replay process we've had. That's a
significant play. That is a game altering, playoff altering play,

(33:19):
and it didn't even stop the game to look at it.
You know, in depth they should have done that, but
the call was right. He just doesn't know what it catches.
That's the bottom line. He doesn't understand what it catches.
For Brandon Cooks, he has to complete the process of
the catch to then be down by contact. He never

(33:39):
completes the process of the catch yet he had the
ball as he's going to the ground. You've got to
maintain possession. You have to have firm possession to complete
the process of the catch. He never did that, so
he never could be down by contact. You just see
these still shots of Cooks with the ball and a
knee down. That's still not completing the process of the catch.

(34:04):
You could have a still shot of a guy catching
the ball, going right down to the ground and then
it pops free. It's not a catch. Not a catch,
So it's the right call. It looked weird. You're gonna
see these still shots and see all these tweets of
the fixes in the NFL is rigged, and it's just
it's so bad. And then you know, Sean mcdermot's just

(34:26):
fanning the flames. He doesn't know what a catches. It's
the bottom line. He doesn't understand what a catches. You
have to complete the process of the catch. Brandon Cooks
never did that. It is the right call, that it
was an interception all day long. He just doesn't understand,
that's the bottom line.

Speaker 4 (34:42):
He's also defending himself right in defending his team, like
I understand that there's a passion there to do that.
You know, again, I don't know what else he would
he would say in that moment, you know, I saw,
you know, I saw an Indiana player. The Hoosiers was
asked if they would beat the tw nineteen LS twenty
nineteen LSU team and he said, yeah, of course we

(35:04):
would twenty one twenty. It's like and everyone's like getting on.
I'm like, what's the supposed to say? No, no, no, no,
you know what.

Speaker 3 (35:11):
Burrow and Jamar Chase by fourteen.

Speaker 4 (35:14):
Boy, it was great officiating. I loved it yesterday. You know,
I agree that was an interception. I agree, I agree
with with with Carl Cheffer's their interception. I did see it.
Krack loves these tweets. I saw someone who was like
Carl Cheffer's five and zero in Bill's games it was
and then it was an ai image of him and
Josh Allen hucking each other. Well five and one. Now,
So if you bet on Buffalo to win that game

(35:36):
because of the officiating matchup, then that's shame on you
because that's a that's a dumb way to better a
football game.

Speaker 3 (35:41):
That was I'll say, real fast crack. That reminds me
always of the NFC title game. Remember the non interference
call when it was the Saints and the Rams and
uh Bill Vinovich was on the call. He was the
lead referee and the Rams were zero to eight in
games that he he was he was calling, you know,

(36:02):
and he had all these rams fans. They're signing petitions
like get Bill Venovich out of there, like he shouldn't
be the lead referee in this game. And then it's
the you know, the non call that greatly benefits the Rams, right,
and they that was the biggest fugaise Super Bowl appearance
in all the time. You talk about stealing a win
from the Saints, that's exactly what happened that day. Crazy,

(36:23):
But yeah, that's sorry. Sorry, Bill's fans. I know, I
don't know what keeps you going at this stage. Really,
it's been so much misery and heartbreak for decades. And
then it looks like you have a catch and you're
gonna win the game, and you think you got jobbed
and the NFL is rigged and the fix is in.
It's not. That was an interception. It was the right call.

(36:45):
Cooks has to complete the process of the catch. He
never did that overall.

Speaker 1 (36:49):
Couty I did.

Speaker 3 (36:51):
Yeah, I was in on that crack it was a catch.
Then I reverse everything I said, that's right catch. We've
got Bill Krakenberger, professional sports handicapper. Jeff Schwartz, eight year
NFL veteran. I'm Brian No coming up next to Parlay
platter Wach have one selection for you. We pull it
together for a greater payout. We'll compare notes. Next, it

(37:13):
is Fox Sports Radios Countdown to Kickoff, presented by BETMGM.
It is Fox Sports Radios Countdown to Kickoff, presented by
Bett MGM. Be sure to subscribe to the Fox Sports
Radio YouTube channel. Just search Fox Sports Radio on YouTube
and you'll see our best videos from all of our shows.
And don't stop there. Hit that thumbs up icon and
comment away. Let us know whose takes you like and

(37:33):
even whose takes you don't like. Just search Fox Sports
Radio on YouTube and subscribe. All right, let's do this.

Speaker 2 (37:42):
Check this out, ar lay letter Ah.

Speaker 3 (37:45):
Yes, the platter Wach have one selection for you. We
pull it together for a greater payout. Brack, we start
with you. What's something you like.

Speaker 1 (37:53):
Let's go here to the Patriots game and let's go
Woody Marks rushed All right, I'm rushing under the cats
elite run defense here. I think find this is an
extra proper guys, by the way, I don't think I
send this to you guys.

Speaker 5 (38:06):
In the group.

Speaker 1 (38:07):
So let's go under on Mark, I'm gonna get hit
a number one second five.

Speaker 3 (38:11):
It looks like fifty two and a half right now.

Speaker 1 (38:13):
Crack yeah, I just wanted to get MGM's number. Okay,
it's the same then and a half al right or two?
There you go.

Speaker 4 (38:19):
Marx has left every game this season hurt, I believe,
I think legitimately less every game.

Speaker 5 (38:23):
This year hurts.

Speaker 4 (38:24):
He does not stay healthy. Is a good way to
like this track? I same game, first half under twenty
and a half of this game. I think when you
look at Houston going back on the road playing mc
COOLB in New England, right, their offense to me is
really shaky, right, very up and down against most good teams.
They start slow, just what they are this season. They

(38:45):
figure things out. No Nikio Collins trying to figure out
a way to create some passing game without him. On
the flip side, look, this is the best team has
played all season. It's the best defense they played all season.
Their offense line is not good. Drake Bays hit the
second most tusher to me, second most in the NFL
behind Justin Herbert. I think if they score points, it
will take time to figure out how to score points.

(39:07):
In this game seven the first half under twenty and
a half.

Speaker 3 (39:10):
Here Okay, I'm gonna move to a different game here,
although I kind of like I might talk about this
later in the show, Jeff, building off what you said
right there. I like Drake may over nineteen and a
half completions because, like when they're throwing the ball, he's
not gonna hold it forever. They're not gonna pull a
Herbert like last week. You know what I mean. It's

(39:31):
a ferocious Texans pass rush. It's gonna be throwing a
bunch of quick, short passes, and he's accurate. I think
he's gonna have a lot of completions, man, So you
know what, let me put that in the parlay here.
We'll do it on the fly because I like another prop,
but I'll stick with the same.

Speaker 4 (39:46):
I think, you know, a rush attempts. I thought you
were going on that one too. I think he could
rush the ball a lot.

Speaker 1 (39:50):
In this game.

Speaker 3 (39:51):
Oh yeah, yeah, I could see that. Yeah, sure, Tucket
and run. Definitely. I'll go with the Oh shoot, I'm
on the I'm on the other gamerhere. You switch back
to the one you guys are talking about, so we'll go.
I love this a little live SGP. I don't think
we've had an SGP parlay today, all right, this year,
there you go, Drake May over nineteen and a half completions.

(40:12):
Oh I got plus four fifty with those three legs
right there, marks under first half under Drake May twenty completions.
We're turning money already.

Speaker 4 (40:24):
It was only that easy, guys, that is only that easy.

Speaker 3 (40:27):
I'll could this possibly go wrong? I just I don't
see how it could possibly go wrong? Right like that,
the formula for success right there? How could it not hit?

Speaker 1 (40:34):
You know? What could go wrong?

Speaker 3 (40:37):
What could go wrong? The fix would have to be
in for this not to.

Speaker 4 (40:40):
Hit Chra it would be fixed. Yeah, it would be
all good Christians against us. That's what it is.

Speaker 3 (40:46):
That's absolutely right. All right, coming up next, not just
we'll get to the game. We're just talking about dive
in head first cannonball style. Oh what is going on?
Welcome in, Happy DIVISI round of the playoffs. Happy Sunday too.
You hope all is well? We will get to Strength
beyond Strength, which by the way, is a Pantera song,

(41:09):
as I know, you know, Jeff Schwartz all over than
that right there? Right, yeah, come in your way in
just a couple of seconds here every time you make
a wager at BETMGM, you earn BETMGM rewards points that
can be redeemed for things like bonus bets or converted
to MGM rewards points that could be used towards dining
shows and hotel rooms at over twenty MGM resorts. And

(41:29):
be sure to follow BETMGM across all socials at BETMGM. Okay,
strength beyond strength. How about the number two scoring defense.
That would be the Houston Texans versus the number two
scoring offense in the New England Patriots. So when the
Patriots have the ball, it's gonna be fireworks, right, It's
strength versus strength. And you know what's interesting in this

(41:53):
matchup is I think we often overlook the Patriots defense.
Patriots are top five in scoring defense. Also, this is
a good defense. And it's just it's too much about
their schedule. I know they had an incredibly favorable schedule.
We get it. It's the easiest schedule in the last
twenty five years. You have to go all the way

(42:13):
back to the ninety nine Rams to find an easier
schedule than what the Patriots had this season. But my
thing is it's not just about that. I don't I
wish people would look beyond just that. And when you
look and you say MVP caliber quarterback, really solid head coach,
really good defense, that's a lot more than just the
byproduct of a cake schedule. So I think a lot

(42:36):
of people are still sleeping on the Patriots, but here
they are again another home favorite. So maybe the outside people,
the outside noise, they're sleeping on the Patriots. But the
books in Vegas like points spread wise that they're not
sleeping on the Patriots as much. That's clear.

Speaker 4 (42:53):
So my prom Brian is is that this is the
best team New England has played all season, and I
don't think that's great here in a play in a
Division round playoff game, to play like the best defense
you played all season, So like that's that's my that's
my concern is that this is a level of competition

(43:16):
New England just has not seen this season on defense,
and out of the quarterbacks they played, obviously, Josh is
better than anyone they played, but Stroud is probably second.
They played Lamar for half, So you're playing the best
team you played all season in the Division A round.
That's not true for Chicago or for Seattle, or for

(43:38):
Buffalo or for Denver, and so we saw last week
they played probably the best defense they play up until
this point, and they had nine points in the fourth quarter.
Brian like, it's a it's a huge step up. And
Houston winning that game last week obviously provide them a
lot of confidence. They didn't play well offensively. Stroud was
all over the place. He just the errors he made.

(44:00):
I mean he dropped a perfectly good snap and then
picked it up and fumbled it. You got you gotta
hope those nerves are calmed down a little bit in
this game. I am concerned about their offensive line as well.
Not a great offensive line, but neither is New England,
So I I need the numbers fair we have seen.

(44:22):
I know this doesn't matter as much, but you know,
last weekend, including the Organ game on Friday night, was
a very public week. I think the sharp sides all
went like six and oh to six. I think we've
got a little bit back to sharper action this week
as being the winner, and so I think New England's
gonna be just a very public side, right gona be
New England, New England Loan, I would I would take

(44:44):
Houston here to cover this game. I think they're the
better team overall. But picking a road team like this,
it worries me. It certainly does. Uh. They've been here before,
they've done it before. I just I can't go over
this is the toughest game it's played all season individual round.
I just don't like that crack.

Speaker 1 (45:03):
I you know what, I've been here and it's just
common sense now you would just think about it, Oh,
this is gonna these warm weather teams go into the
cold weather. They're in a lot of trouble like a
you don't think the bookmaker knows that. Also, not that
they even put that in the line, because I think

(45:23):
here in twenty twenty six, let's call it, these kids
played at all different colleges all, you know, everywhere across
the country, like and to be real blunt, these teams
have traveled already too. It's not like I just don't
think that really should be put into the mix unless
you're unless you're an originator making the line on Sunday

(45:44):
night when the lines come out for the week and
the next week, I think that unless you make that
line before you see the line, that is the only
time that you say, well, doesn't have extra half a
point there or a point that you put into the mix.
But that doesn't mean it's just something for people to talk.
I mean, and this game is one that people have
been waiting for, like all week. This is maybe the

(46:06):
two hottest teams left. The Texas have won the last
ten games, Patriots have won thirteen to fourteen. The big
headline this one is the Texans defense. First, Drake May
and the Patriots offense. May did not have a great
game in last week sixteen. The three went over to Chargers,
and it was a lot because his offensive line didn't

(46:26):
really protect him well even though they won. I understand this,
though I'm not saying that they didn't, you know, do
enough to win. The Texans pressure quarterbacks better than anyone
in the NFL. So New England's offensive line will they
do a much better job today if they want to
advance in the ANFC Championship. We've heard all this the
whole season, how the Patriots had the weakest schedule in

(46:48):
the NFL and aren't really a great team. But you
know they can prove their own doubters wrong today if
they can knock off Houston, that's for sure. And you know,
the Texans crushed the Steelers last week thirty to six.
But again, I know I'm saying these winning teams. The
quarterbacks didn't have a great job, but scoring dirty points.
I don't know. I don't think Strat had a great game.

(47:09):
He turns it over it three times, and uh, it
could have even been a lot more. He actually fumbled
like five times, but the Texans recovered free of them.
He's gonna be without one of his favorite targets, Collins
today too. Kurk, Hutterson, Schultz of all played pretty good.
I'm not sure Collins is really that big of a deal,
but he'll do without him. So I think we're for
maybe a low scoring defensifica that doesn't take you know,

(47:30):
the great Kreskin or someone that's a mind read that defensive,
kind of grinded out game today. Anyone can win this one.
I'll tell you though, I kind of lean to the
points here today. But it's hard for me to take
three when there was three and a half's out there.
There was actually three and a half's out there for
a bit, so but yeah, I do lean taking the

(47:51):
points today. We'll see this should this should be a
great game. Everyone looking forward to it. I noticed some guys.
I was in a sports book yesterday. Well, what's so
to watch games in the sports Oh god, it is
very is so tough. But I've been I agree with
my co host. I said, listen, I'll go over with you, guys.
You get a nice setting. I didn't know until I

(48:11):
just figured automatically. When we're off air here at ten am,
Vegas time, the game starts one o'clock. That's not the
case here, so we're gonna have two hours after our show,
so it's not until three o'clock. On tonight's game is
on at six thirty. Same thing with that Rams game there,
you know, cold weather team hot. Oh my god, Brams

(48:32):
could be in trouble, Like give me a break.

Speaker 4 (48:34):
So okay, I want to talk about that quickly. About
the cold. So I don't think it's it's nothing crack.
I think it's something, but I only think it applies sometimes, right,
So like for example, not to job Brian here, but
the Dolphins have shown that they cannot play in the cold. Okay,
like that I think is a real handicap. Like when

(48:56):
it zero degrees outside the Dolphins on the road, they
just there's enough sample size now with it's not very good.
But Houston went on the road last week and won
a cold weather game. So I don't want to. I
don't hear with them anymore, right, Like that's over with Houston.
Look the Stafford stuff. He's two and ten when he
played the Little Lions for most of those gamesous like
and last year they went into the snow and Philly

(49:18):
and and they could have won the game. Like that's
not why the world right now?

Speaker 1 (49:24):
Yeah, So I think like that, And.

Speaker 4 (49:26):
Here's where I see it. Mattering is sort of like
when you start losing in a game and you're kind
of cold, it does kind of suck a little more,
like you know, like that, like if you're down a
couple of scores and you're also on the sidelines freezing,
Like yeah, you're like warm ups. It's tough to warm
up when it's super cold outside. But when they when

(49:47):
you're playing the game, you don't feel the cold at all.
When you're in the game, it's on the sidelines, it's
warming up. It's when you start losing and you're like, oh,
this kind of stinks to be out here in the cold.
It's not about anything else than that. So if you're
betting on the Bears today because it's cold outside. That
to me is the wrong way away.

Speaker 1 (50:03):
You're on this game, Jeff, you said something just now.
So when you played, you played in these cold but
you're telling me you don't feel that at all. That
that's interesting.

Speaker 4 (50:11):
When you're actually on the field, you don't know when
you're playing, like, no, now you feel it. So on
the sidelines you feel it. When you're not playing, you
wear the jacket, you're you're on the bench, and those
heated benches, by the way, get way too hot. No
one ever talks. They're like super Hota's it's they're like,
it's either it's you have a choice of either burning
your behind or being cold. Those your two choices. There's

(50:32):
no in between. There's no like comfortable heat.

Speaker 3 (50:35):
Setting like my knees on ultimate, the high setting a
little too hot, a little a little too the low
it's a little too low.

Speaker 4 (50:42):
There's no there's no in between, there's no in between.
It's miserable. My thing about the cold was I think
my hand so I put like my hands in in
that in the blower, like to wore my hands up. Otherwise,
like when you're on the field, don't feel it like
you you are things to I gotta worry about blocking Wielderson.
I'm all worried about the coal. You know, I don't
have time to worry about the cold. So but but

(51:03):
it matters when you warm up, you know, kind of
feel it like your boat's a little bit uh sidelines
you on long drive. But now I saw tweet yesterday
the Rams are bringing like an extra five pounds of
clothes for this game. Like they're ready to go. They're
not doing Yeah, they're ready to goble. Wow, how was
the report?

Speaker 3 (51:22):
Yeah, I'll throw a couple of things your way. One,
I'll give the Texans credit if you go back to
last week. Right, we'll start with the Texans or a
team you do not want to be trailing against. Right,
that's a big deal, like who gets the lead, who
maintains the lead? That that's a really big factor in
the game today. But you go back to last week

(51:42):
the Texans against the Steelers. It's seven to six heading
into the fourth quarter, right, and then it was the
strip sack of Rogers that gets run in for a
touchdown or ran in. I always get that, I don't
know run ran whatever he ran he went into the
end zone. Right, That totally flipped game. The next thing
you know, it's thirty to six Texans and it complete

(52:04):
lights out, Like you know, Hard left off the interstate
when it was seven to six heading into the fourth quarter.
So the point is, if the Texans can get a lead,
they can pin their ears back and make life even
more difficult for you. So I'll give him credit, but
I think we're just looking at this mostly from one perspective.
It's like, how are the Patriots gonna fare against this

(52:26):
lights out defense? If you flip that around, how are
the Texans moving the ball in scoring points against this
Patriots defense?

Speaker 1 (52:34):
Right?

Speaker 3 (52:34):
Like the Patriots defense is good. Stroud is down his
top target, as Crack pointed out, no Nico Collins. Look
at Josh Allen yesterday with you know, like number two,
number three wide receivers. He's thrown to his tight ends
and his running backs all night, and yet he was affected.

Speaker 2 (52:52):
Right.

Speaker 3 (52:52):
If Josh Allen, arguably the best quarterback in the game,
is affected, how is CJ. Stroud, who looked off full
last week against a lesser Steelers defense, how's he gonna
look today against the Patriots defense that's pretty good with
no Nico Collins running game held in check. What do
you have at that stage? You got them thrown to

(53:12):
Xavier Hutchinson and Jalen Nole, Like, how are you scoring
points in this game? Texans?

Speaker 4 (53:18):
I think you have to hope that you get some
some defensive stops, right, Yeah, Like that's like, that's I
think the hope there. It's certally possible by the way
that that happens. But that that, to me, is the
hope is that you have to get short fields you're
not probably gonna have, and I think you just run
the ball. I think you run the ball, right. I
think that's where New England is a little more vulnerable.
You just run the ball and you just go kind
of right at them.

Speaker 3 (53:38):
Yeah, well, if they have any type of success like
last week because the two handed combination of you know,
Woody Marx and Nick Chubb, like they rushed for what
one hundred and eighty yards last week on the Steelers,
But this much better rush defense in the Patriots, you know,
like Patriots are number six in rush defense throughout the
regular season. Like that's good, that's good. So we'll see.

(54:01):
But you're right, Jeff, like the defensive game plan if
you're heading into this as the Patriots. It's like, slow
down the rush, make Stroud beat us without his top
wide receiver correct, like if he can, we tip our cap.
But I bet that he's not going to the.

Speaker 4 (54:16):
Patriots pastors by the way, too, it's very much just interior,
like the edges aren't like you can the Texans are
good everywhere, Like it's tougher to block that front than
the Patriots are very good obviously with Barrymore and Williams inside.
If you can sort of wand up the inside, you're
gonna be okay against New England or against Houston. You
just can't do that. You know, there's no one offers

(54:38):
until the Super Bowl. I think like a total team
sacks prop that seems to be like a super Bowl thing.
It's like four and a half on the high end.
I'm curious if bet MGM and you know they have
a ton of you know, a ton of stuff up
for today has a total sack problem. Maybe in question
for Christian why I don't post stuff like that until
Super Bowl? But I would. I would love if there
was like a pressure number two, like give me like, yeah,

(55:00):
that'd be cool. Yeah, pressures, But how do you grade that? Obviously,
that would take a data grade, right, you have to,
like sure work with PFF and you figure out, like
how do you great pressures? But I do think some
sort of sack prop which again not individual guys, because
those are hard. But you know, I wish there was
a way to make maybe to maybe have that.

Speaker 1 (55:23):
Are we getting Christian on here today, guys? Yeah? I
think he's next now, only because I see this line movement.
Now there was when I went to bed it was
all for solid force and now solitary and a half.
I just want to see what's going on. And I
think there's fifty to fifty on these games, but we'll see,
because uh, you know, like it takes so much money
to move and an NFL playoff game, god, uh so

(55:47):
I'm interested to know what's what money is want here.
Maybe a little bit more on the rams, I'm guessing,
but I'm thinking the other game, the Patriots game, probably
fifty to fifty. We'll see.

Speaker 3 (55:57):
By the way, let me just throw a stat prop you.
I just bet this, you know a second ago, you know,
live during this segment in in show betting, right in
game betting, in show betting. I don't know if you
guys would be on board with this, But I just
took CJ. Stroud over nine and a half rushing yards.
He didn't rush for anything last week, nothing gooseg but

(56:19):
play it out today. Like Jeff just said, you don't
have a great pass rush with the Patriots, so that's
something you have to consider. But you do have a
really good coverage unit of the Patriots and you're down
Nico Collins. How many times is CJ. Stroud gonna drop
back and no one is open? Like you have two choices.
It's either, you know, throw it away, throw it at

(56:41):
the feet of a covered guy, throw it into traffic
and take a risk, or run the ball. Like at
some point c J. Stroud is gonna have to tuck
it and run and try to make some plays. And
when he looks at at Drake May on the field,
that Drake May is probably gonna be running around similar
to last week. Maybe that didn't influences him a little bit.
I just have a hard time like c J. Stroud's

(57:03):
got to get to double digit rushing yards. He's got
to get to ten rushing yards down Nico Collins. I
just I don't see how he doesn't get there. At
least do you agree with that.

Speaker 4 (57:14):
I think there's a good case for that. Yeah. I
think it's it's it's he doesn't do it much, but
in this type of game, I think he sort of.

Speaker 1 (57:21):
Has to do that.

Speaker 7 (57:22):
Right.

Speaker 3 (57:22):
This is, man, this is where the AFC title game
is on the line. Here, this is take the training
wheels off and make some plays.

Speaker 1 (57:30):
Man.

Speaker 3 (57:30):
I think he's got to get there.

Speaker 4 (57:33):
His attempts is three and a half juice.

Speaker 1 (57:36):
I was just looking at that attempts in the yards. Yeah,
so that's saying three yard like basically two and a
half yards of play or something. Yeah, three yards of play? Interesting?

Speaker 3 (57:45):
There you God for you, Thanks Crag. I love cracks
like you know. I wasn't looking at what you're talking about, Brian,
I'm looking at something else. Then might I might have
a better chance of cash?

Speaker 1 (57:58):
That's great.

Speaker 3 (57:59):
We've got Bill Cracktonburg professional sports handicapper. Jeff Schwartz, eight
year NFL veteran. I'm Brian know the playoffs are here.
Register with BETMGM to get instant access to the best
variety of parlay selection features, no sweat and boost tokens,
live betting options, and much more. New players can receive
up to fifteen hundred dollars back in bonus bets with
bonus code countdown. If they don't win their first bet,

(58:20):
place your money line, parlay bets and more. Today again,
the bonus code is countdown BETMGM make it legendary. Coming
up next, our may man, Christian Zippolini from BETMGM gets
it all set for the two playoff games. Today, facts figures,
betting lines, betting trends. Where's the money at all that
good stuff coming your way?

Speaker 1 (58:39):
Next?

Speaker 3 (58:40):
It is Fox Sports Radios Countdown to Kickoff, presented by BETMGM.
It is Fox Sports Radios Countdown to Kickoff, presented by
bet MGM. With the iHeartRadio app, you can stream us
wherever you happen to be. Catch us in all of
our Fox Sports Radio shows live twenty four to seven
in the new and improved iHeartRadio app. Just search Fox
Sports Radio in the app. To stry, you must live

(59:00):
all day, every day and be sure to select Fox
Sports Radio is one of your presets in the iHeart app,
so it'll always pop up at the top of your screen.
All right, let's do this.

Speaker 2 (59:11):
Follow the money, real good.

Speaker 5 (59:12):
Money, you know.

Speaker 3 (59:13):
Christian Ziplini joining us here. Good morning to you, Christian BEDMGM,
senior trading manager. You know I'm an idiot, so you
just have to bear with me like you were. You
failed the Megadeth exam. Christian, I have to say, I
have to be blunt with you right here. How are
you on the po D exam? The rock band that
we just heard in the background? Any po D love
for you? Christian?

Speaker 5 (59:35):
I think I'm gonna unfortunately sail that one too.

Speaker 3 (59:38):
No harm, no harm with that, the Mega Death one.
That's a strike against you. I gotta be honest, but
Pod no problem right there. The real question though, was
that a better result for you guys? For BETMGM with
it looked like it was originally going to be a
catch with Brandon Cooks. They made the right call. It
was an interception. But was that a good outcome for you?

(59:59):
Would you you have rather seen the Bills win or
the Broncos win?

Speaker 5 (01:00:05):
Yeah? For us, we ended up taking about two to
one Bills money yesterday, so the book was rooting for
the Broncos. There was actually a minute there where Josh
Allen has got to sacked in the end zone him
That would have been a two point win. That would
have been like our ideal number.

Speaker 8 (01:00:21):
But yeah, we weren't rooting for the Broncos there, so
definitely a crazy overtime game, but the book was fortunate.

Speaker 5 (01:00:29):
On that one.

Speaker 4 (01:00:31):
Is that better for futures too? With the Bills being
knocked out? I imagine that was a big position for
you guys still with the Bills big Super Bowl champions.

Speaker 8 (01:00:40):
Yeah, so the Bills were one of two remaining teams
where we had a pretty good significant liability on the Bills,
and now the Bears are really the remaining team left.
So we didn't want the Bills to get beat at
some point, you know, at this when we get towards
this point of the season, you start to kind of
question whether you prefer more handle with a Josh Allen
game or just get you know, to get that liability

(01:01:03):
off the book. So I'm kind of think of it
two ways, you know, with the Bills being out, maybe
not as much interest in a shared Sidham game versus
the Josh Allen one, but I guess we're happy to
get the liability off.

Speaker 1 (01:01:15):
Hey, Christian, what what about the second What about the
other game? Did you guys farewell on the Seattle game
or or was that a tough game for you guys.

Speaker 8 (01:01:24):
Yeah, so you always talk about God favoring the bookmaker.

Speaker 5 (01:01:28):
I think we kind of had.

Speaker 8 (01:01:30):
We had a little bit of one last night when
yesterday afternoon whenever it was when Chefterd tweeted out that
dam Darnold hadn't thrown the ball in a few days
and they weren't even sure if he could.

Speaker 4 (01:01:40):
Throw the ball.

Speaker 8 (01:01:42):
I'm imagining that led to a lot more of our
public money coming in on San frand plus seven.

Speaker 5 (01:01:47):
That was a really lopside a game where.

Speaker 8 (01:01:49):
We had, you know, we really didn't want stand Fran
to win, and we didn't want them to cover plus
seven either. Now, I don't know how much of that
was just going to happen naturally and how much that
late report caused things, but it was significant towards San France.

Speaker 1 (01:02:04):
So we were happy to see games yesterday. So my
saying God protects the book makers is still going to play,
all right, it is, right? Okay? Yeah?

Speaker 3 (01:02:17):
Well, building off that, how would God protect the bookmaker today? Like,
what would you need for that to be the case?

Speaker 5 (01:02:25):
Yeah, today it doesn't look like we'll be as lopsided,
but you know, the two.

Speaker 8 (01:02:30):
Outcomes that will want is we'll want the Texans and
we'll want the Bears. This one book games a lot
closer spread at three points. You know, the book is
also going to be looking for unders here. Of course,
get a lot of snow probably in both games, so
that might be in our favor.

Speaker 4 (01:02:47):
I don't think you guys have defensive markets up. Maybe
you do a little bit closer to kickoff. Is that's
something that's kind of reserved for Super Bowl and maybe
like a now chatenging, I would love to bet some
sort of Texan sack prop in this game.

Speaker 5 (01:03:01):
Yeah, that's what we post.

Speaker 8 (01:03:03):
We'll prokcast a little bit more of the conference championships. Yeah,
that's the defensive markets are very tough to price up.
But yeah, you would think right this Texans is an
excellent defense and whoever comes out of this Texans Patriots
game is going to have a really nice road now
to the super Bowl.

Speaker 1 (01:03:23):
I see you guys are moving now on this Houston,
New England total right now forty and a half over fifteen,
and still you still have the best line in the market,
believe it not for the over so some over mon
he's coming in. But you said both of these games,
you think the public is just based on the snow
betting under. Is that correct?

Speaker 5 (01:03:42):
We're getting a.

Speaker 8 (01:03:43):
Little bit more unders. But even with a giant snow
game in ten degree, whether still we will still take
over bets that I don't know. There's a scenario where
we wouldn't take over bets. So this one is at
least going to be a little bit closer. Had it
not be Colton Snowy, it'd be nothing but over bets.
At least you have a little bit on the bet today.

Speaker 1 (01:04:01):
Okay, we're not gonna We're not gonna talk to you
till next week. So let's uh this this game tomorrow night.
Indiana Miami, Florida. Where do you guys stands?

Speaker 8 (01:04:11):
So yeah, So when the line was hit seven and
a half, which it was for a few days, it
was legitimately nothing but Indiana every bet basically Indiana.

Speaker 5 (01:04:23):
Now that we're at eight and a half, we're getting
a little bit more of Miami money.

Speaker 8 (01:04:27):
And I've seen a little bit more Miami money on
the spread on the money line. But in general, we're
fortunate that we have a Indiana's a good future's outcome
because it's not looking like we're going to get kind
of Miami money, and we'll definitely be.

Speaker 5 (01:04:43):
Rooting for Miami.

Speaker 8 (01:04:44):
And I think it's going to be one where we'll
be very lopsided towards Indiana, especially when the public comes
in tomorrow.

Speaker 1 (01:04:51):
So you took them like a seventy five that big.

Speaker 8 (01:04:55):
I don't know if it'll reach that high, but I
think it'll definitely be in the seventies to seventy five
for Indiana, is my guest.

Speaker 4 (01:05:02):
So the last three Indiana games, Ohio State Big Ten
Championship game, the Alabama Organ game, there was a lot
of steam on their opponents last twenty four hours before kickoff.
I'm hoping this happens here to get down to like
a seven and a half again. It's like Indiana or
a seven. Do you are you foreseeing that happening again?
Where people wake up on Monday they're like, Miami is

(01:05:25):
an eight and a half and and most people have
talked to you that make their own numbers, they have
this game six, seven, maybe five, and they think it's
a it's an overreaction. I think this number is gonna move.
Are you anticipating that?

Speaker 5 (01:05:39):
Definitely?

Speaker 4 (01:05:39):
Could?

Speaker 8 (01:05:41):
I doubt that will end up on the other side
of the seven. I don't think we'll get a six
and a half. I think back to seven and a
half is probably about as far would be my guest.
You know, anything's possible. As you said, there is some
steam in the previous ones. But I also think just
the volume of money that at least i've seen at
that MGM, I can't imagine that we'd end up going any.

Speaker 2 (01:06:04):
Farther than that.

Speaker 3 (01:06:07):
I'll give I'll throw a bonus question out there for
you too, Christian, could you give us an idea of
what it takes for the line to move as much
as it does, because like whether it's a dollar figure,
a percentage what it might be hard to describe, but
what what would and I'm sure it varies, but what
would you describe it it to be? Like what would

(01:06:28):
it take for like Jeff just said, what would it
take for it to be IU minus seven? How would
you put that into words?

Speaker 1 (01:06:36):
Yeah?

Speaker 5 (01:06:36):
Well one, so an injury could certainly get us there.
But in general, you know, when it.

Speaker 8 (01:06:41):
Comes to the bookmaking side of things, there's two kind
of things going on. There's the general market and then
there's kind of what we're seeing from you know, our
customer profiling. So you know, we have certain customers that
you know, they're usually on the right side of the number,
and you know, they have the respect of the book
and the book maker, and if a lot of those
people might come in and they start taking Miami, that's

(01:07:02):
that's something that could lead the book to start headed
that direction. And similar to the market, you know, if
the market also starts shredding in one direction, sometimes people
will jump on and you kind of have to determine,
all right, which one is this just people jumping onto
the steam of it moving, or if this is a
true market mover. So you know, we have that in

(01:07:24):
our side of things, you know, the people that we
look at it more so market movers. And if we
see enough action or you know, it is always kind
of a little bit of taste by case bases, but
if we see enough action driving us.

Speaker 5 (01:07:36):
Saying, hey this, this guy is usually on.

Speaker 8 (01:07:38):
The right side of the number, is telling us to
go this way, you know, we really won't have a
problem with going in that direction. But on bigger games
like this, you know, national championship games, games like that,
it is a lot harder to move significant points. You know,
of course, a low chier college basketball game a market
mover coming in and betting that is going to tell

(01:07:59):
us pretty signific and sign them. We might move a
few points, but a bigger game harder.

Speaker 3 (01:08:04):
To move, gotcha. So you're telling me, if Krack comes
in and bets Miami plus the points, it moves those
to seven, and if I do it, it moves closer
to ten.

Speaker 1 (01:08:16):
I think on this type of game though, if this
was like a smaller game, maybe, but but Christian correct
me if I'm wrong, like Miami Florida. Even if you
take a ten time bet for me, that doesn't mean
really much. But if you take that on your max
bet on a college basketball game or an FCS game
or something, of course you're going to move the number,

(01:08:36):
might thinking, right.

Speaker 5 (01:08:37):
Yeah, exactly, And some of it depends.

Speaker 8 (01:08:40):
You know, there's so much volume that is going to
go into a national championship game or even today's games
that that suddenly, you know, the sharp action needs to
be a lot more significant, and it probably needs to
come from a lot more sources to get a move versus,
like you said, a low chier college game.

Speaker 3 (01:08:57):
Well, hey, Christian, great stuff as always, man, enjoy the
two games today and the championship game tomorrow, but thanks
for your time and we'll catch you soon.

Speaker 5 (01:09:05):
Yeah, only six football games will aft. It's sad, so
everyone enjoy it.

Speaker 3 (01:09:08):
Man, that's sad. Well, we got to count the flag
football Pro Bowl thing right like that?

Speaker 1 (01:09:14):
That right there?

Speaker 3 (01:09:15):
No, I'm just kidding. I think they do. I don't know, man,
We're gonna be reduced to betting that pretty soon. My gosh.

Speaker 1 (01:09:22):
You know that's I didn't realize the city of games left,
but I guess you if you count Miami, right, is
that six games? Yeah?

Speaker 3 (01:09:27):
So one, two, three, four?

Speaker 4 (01:09:29):
Yeah?

Speaker 1 (01:09:30):
What are you guys doing the morrow night? And by
the way, that's a big game for you guys, what
do you get you guys watching it home?

Speaker 3 (01:09:35):
Or uh yeah, yeah cool. I'm not doing anything special
like these standalone games. I'll go to sports bars if
I need to for you know, like Wall to Wall
week eighteen or whatever. Right, but these standalone games, like, yeah,
I don't need to go out. You know, you can
just hang, no doubt. All right, We've got Isaac Lowan Crown.
You talk about a great hang. If you're you're able

(01:09:57):
to hang with Isaac Lohan Kron during big playoff games,
that's where you want to be Oh absolutely, that's right. Yeah,
Jagon Delvita cheese dipped Jos got to have that.

Speaker 1 (01:10:10):
Well.

Speaker 6 (01:10:10):
Speaking of the National Championship Game, I'm happy to report
that on the secondary market parking tickets, parking passes for
hard Rock Stadium have gone down considerably. They're now only
six hundred and ninety five dollars per space.

Speaker 3 (01:10:28):
Oh, not bad last week.

Speaker 6 (01:10:30):
Last week of this time it was almost eight hundred dollars.
But prices are plummeting. Then if you want to park
across the street, it plummets even further down to a
very affordable and fair three and ten dollars.

Speaker 3 (01:10:42):
Oh that's pocket chase.

Speaker 6 (01:10:44):
Yes, so, so don't feel bad if you are not
able to make it on the National Championship Game tomorrow.
In the NFL, Denver Broncos quarterback Bone Nicks is going
to miss the rest of the playoffs after breaking a
bone in his ankle in overtime of yesterday's thirty three
to thirty one over the Buffalo Bills. Jarrett Stidham now
takes over as the Broncos starting quarterback. The Bills last

(01:11:06):
night became the first team in NFL history to lose
by three points or less in the playoffs in three
consecutive seasons.

Speaker 3 (01:11:14):
You hold you here up all right?

Speaker 5 (01:11:16):
Oh?

Speaker 3 (01:11:16):
Thank you?

Speaker 6 (01:11:17):
Lynn are always there to cushion the blow for a
fan base. Meanwhile, on Saturday night, the Seattle Seahawks dismantled
the San Francisco forty nine Ers forty one to six.
Also Saturday night, the Atlanta Falcons hired former Browns head
coach Kevin Stefanski as their new head coach. The Steelers
expected to speak with former Packers and Cowboys head coach

(01:11:37):
Mike McCarthy about their head coaching job. The Browns will
have second interviews with defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz and Ravens
offensive coordinator Todd Munkin for their head coaching job. NFL
Media reports the Dolphins will interview Lions defensive coordinator Kelvin
Sheppard for their head coaching job.

Speaker 3 (01:11:54):
Guys, interesting stuff. That is Isaac Lohan Crown. It is
Fox Sports Radio Scatdown to kick Off, presented by Vett MGM.
By the way, while we're talking coaching carousel, what do
you guys think of this? So Harbaugh John Harbaugh to
the Giants, Kevin Stefanski to the Falcons, Matt Lafleur signs
an extension with the Packers, and Mike Tomlin steps down

(01:12:14):
with the Steelers. What do you make of those four hires?
Anything earth shattering to you or that you like dislike?
What do you think?

Speaker 4 (01:12:22):
I mean? No, I mean the Giants. The Giants from
the beginning, everyone said that they wanted a former coach, right,
That's what they wanted, and they got one. They got
John Harbaugh. He's presumably bringing Monkin with him, which I like,
and I think I think he's interview for head coaching
jobs as well, So fancy feels good. I mean, yeah,

(01:12:43):
could hire with with the quarterbacks that got there. It
just feels like a general underwhelming group of coaches this year.
You know, if you're trying to hire the young offensive mine,
they're like thirty years old now, like the Jacks OC,
the rams OC. They don't even call plays either, so
they're thirty year old. Haven't called mc vey when he

(01:13:04):
was high at least he called plays, you know before
he You guys are like fresh, they haven't done really
any leadership responsibilities yet. And it's just not a great
class I think of of coaches this year.

Speaker 1 (01:13:18):
Yeah, I could really have comments on all these guys horrible.
I think it's wow, how can it not be a great, giant,
great hire by the Giants. He's perfect for New York.
They needed a guy with his kind of experience. You
go on to Stefanski, even though I don't really think
Marsh deserved to be fired in Atlanta, this is a
good hire for them, and people forget that Stefanski won

(01:13:41):
Coach of the Year twice in the last six years.
Cleveland just an impossible franchise to win for at this point.
Maybe a great hire there too. Who else was the
floor crazy? We go we're talking about him getting fired
by Green Bay. Now he's getting an extension, so right,
that's what was sure about this one. But I think
green Bay was I don't know, maybe they're due for

(01:14:01):
a change, you know. I really don't have no big
opinion on that. And Tomlin, Wow, he's been doing it
for so long. I think his time just had to come.
I guess is that we'll see him in a probably
a studio, not coaching it. He'll be like Bill Kauer
or something, you know, so at least for.

Speaker 3 (01:14:19):
A year, it seems like that's gonna be the voice.
I don't know, yeah for how long. But yeah, to me,
the Mike Tomlin thing, I think it's one of these
you don't know what you have until you lose it,
you know. And Yeh, Tomlin to go nineteen straight years
without one losing record is insane. That's insanity right there.
And some of the quarterbacks that he's had for like

(01:14:40):
these last ten years after Big Ben, it's been dudes
where it's like, oh my gosh, you're having either a
winning record or a non losing record with these guys,
like there have been one year where you're just ravaged
by injuries, tough schedule, like never one losing record. That's insane.
But I mean the problem with the Steelers in Mike,
they didn't have a franchise quarterback, like and it's hard

(01:15:03):
to get when I get it, when you're around ten
and seven, nine and eight, I understand it's hard to
get one, but to win all those games without a
franchise quarterback, like for these people that think Tomlin can't
coach or it's like, if they've somehow found a franchise quarterback,
believe me, they would be Super Bowl threats consistently. That
didn't happen for the last decade or so, right, agreed, Yes,

(01:15:24):
I'm with you, all right. We've got Bill Krachenberger, professional
sports handicapper, Jeff Schwartz, eight year NFL veteran. I'm Brian. No,
it's time for the postseason. Be sure to check out
the new looking features in the BETMGM app. It's fast
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(01:15:45):
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bets with bonus code countdown if they don't win their
first bet. That's code countdown in the BETMGM app. Coming
up next, Prop it Up. That's right, the prop betting market.
We will compare elongated notes Right around the corner. It

(01:16:08):
is Fox Sports Radios Countdown to Kickoff presented by BETMGM.
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(01:16:32):
And it is time for the tire rack play of.

Speaker 9 (01:16:33):
The day, snap placement, kick on the way, and Denvers
go to the FC Championship game.

Speaker 3 (01:16:45):
Let's from twenty four yards out.

Speaker 7 (01:16:48):
In an epic battle from in power field a mile high,
the Broncos have climbed higher and they have found a
way to win of jin, I mean from behind. They
beat the Buffalo Bills this afternoon, thirty three to thirty.

Speaker 3 (01:17:07):
Yeah, plus four in the turnover differential, barely squeaked out
a win. Congratulations Denver. That's a compliments of KOA eight
point fifty AM and ninety four one FM Broncos Radio network.
His Broncos country just hates me in Unison right there
after that cheap shot. But it's the truth. You can't
get mad at the truth. All right, We got picks
to make. Let's do it.

Speaker 1 (01:17:28):
Prop it up player plays.

Speaker 3 (01:17:31):
All right, the prop betting market crack. We start with you,
your specialty, your go to You're a sweet spot, right,
what do you like today?

Speaker 1 (01:17:39):
Yeah? This is uh listen, it gets tougher now though,
so people know the props probably aren't at a percentage
what they were before as you get deeper into playoffs.
Now these serious games now. Yet super Bowl is all out,
so we're gonna go crazy super Bowl again. There's just
so many different things, all right, So we give up
marks earlier. Let's give out Kien william His Williams is

(01:18:00):
rush yards. Some bad weather there, run heavy rams. That's
gonna be their their probably their plan over there. So
let's go Williams over his rushing yards and again, guys out,
I'll get that. I'm sorry, I wasn't prepared for this.
I'll get it.

Speaker 3 (01:18:14):
I want to fire RALF, but I'll get it. I'll
get it for I think it's sixty and a half.

Speaker 1 (01:18:18):
Crack.

Speaker 3 (01:18:19):
Yeah, I think that's where it's at.

Speaker 1 (01:18:22):
Yeah, we'd like to give bet MGM odds out. That's why.

Speaker 3 (01:18:24):
So sixty and a half, it's up to sixty one
and a half picked up one.

Speaker 1 (01:18:28):
Yard, Williams rush yards over again, we hit that. That's
for that one, and then earlier we have one to
catch that one too. We're gonna have more at the
end of the game. Also at the end of the game,
at the end of the show's at the end of
the show.

Speaker 4 (01:18:42):
Yeah yeah, okay, uh. I like some normal ones and
some exotic ones.

Speaker 3 (01:18:48):
Okay, let's get crazy here sports.

Speaker 4 (01:18:50):
What do we got? I like Keiler Williams. They offer
a combined rushing and passing yards prop.

Speaker 1 (01:18:57):
Okay, I like over two thirty.

Speaker 4 (01:18:59):
Six and a half for Kaleb Williams. I just think
that the way these games tend to go and the
rams secondary, I think he gets a budge of yards.
I yeah, I like that. Okay. There's also one essentially
Ben MGM offers first player to rush for twenty yards
in a game. Okay, why korm is plus four hundred
so four to one. He gets a lot of carries,

(01:19:22):
like you know, like that he gets Typically they rotate
drives first drive, second drive, second drive, Like at three
carries here over twenty yards. I don't mind that one
for a guy who gets as many carries anyone else does.
You can also bet, like outcome of the first drive,
I get plus money for New England to punt. I
don't think Newland's gonna score. It's the best even as
they played all season so the idea is like, obviously,

(01:19:44):
now if there's a short field, I'm screwed. Why they
punt the first drive? So some exotics to look at
it with some a normal prop throne in there as well.

Speaker 3 (01:19:53):
Interesting stuff. I love this, you know, outside the box.

Speaker 1 (01:19:56):
Yeah, good man.

Speaker 3 (01:19:59):
It's almost this same thing that you picked out Jeff,
but it's slightly different. I'm on Caleb Williams over to
fourteen and a half passing yards. It's basically the same
breakdown as Jeff. The Rams secondary stinks, and I think
the Bears are the fugazy Bears are gonna be losing.
They might be getting their teeth kicked in. You know,
they're gonna have to come from behind, and they're gonna

(01:20:20):
have to throw. It's a run heavy it's a throw
heavy script, I think for dub Bears today. So I
like Caleb Williams over to fourteen and a half. All right, well,
the runaway freight train be slowed down. Oh welcome in
what is going on? Happy Sunday to you, Happy divisional
round of the playoffs. I would say, happy National Championship

(01:20:43):
Game eve, if you will. We got the title game
tomorrow night, Miami, and I you Indiana favored by eight
and a half. The total is forty seven and a
half as we speak right now at bet MGM. And
that's the question. Can the runaway freight train that is IU,
the Indiana Hoosiers be slowed down? Can they be slowed down?

(01:21:06):
I believe the answer is yes. Will they be slowed down?
It's uh, I don't know. The first thing I think
Miami's got to do, Fellas is you gotta limit mistakes.
This can't be, you know, anywhere near what we saw
from the Bills yesterday or Oregon last week against IU,
or last game against IU. It's like, like I say,

(01:21:27):
IU plays like the Chiefs used to play. You know,
the Chiefs always capitalized on your mistakes. They limited their
own mistakes. And that's what Indiana has done a magnificent
job of. So Miami cannot assist IU in IU beating them, right,
They got to make it as difficult as possible and
make Indiana earn everything. But if you can just limit

(01:21:50):
the unforced errors, limit the mistakes that IU is forcing,
that's the first thing Miami has got to do to
have a chance in this game.

Speaker 4 (01:21:58):
So we talked a lot about this before Indiana's best quality,
I think is they're a bow constrict right where the
more you struggle, the more you make a mistake, the
more you start breathing heavy, the more they just squeeze
and squeeze and squeeze and just put you down.

Speaker 1 (01:22:17):
Right.

Speaker 4 (01:22:18):
That's what they've been all season. And it's not they
without close games. Three point win Ohio State, one point win,
Penn State, close game, It's Iowa close game, the fourth
corkinst Oregon. They're not unbeatable, but the theme of those
games is the other team beats themselves, right, Ohio State,
but continuing two drives inside the twenty five no points, right,
I mean, that's that's what they do. Miami had played

(01:22:43):
pretty mistake free until last week, when they committed a
bunch of penalties and dropped a bunch of interceptions. They
can't play that way and win this game. My concern
with this game, most importantly is that Miami's offense right
now is designed basically around let's not let Carson Beck

(01:23:04):
lose the game for us.

Speaker 3 (01:23:05):
Yeah, right, let's right.

Speaker 4 (01:23:08):
Yesh, let's run the ball. Let's you know, set up
third and short. And that worries begins Indiana because Indiana.
What they're not going to do is allow explosive plays.
So if you can't generate explosive plays, they're happy to
let you take four yards, six yards, three yards, because
here's what happens. The more reps it takes to get

(01:23:30):
to the end zone, the more opportunity you have to
make a mistake, and the more opportunity you have to
have a penalty, a fumble, interception, a negative play, and
then that sets your and your drive is done. So
you've driven the ball for seven minutes for a field goal.
And that is my concern when it comes to Miami

(01:23:50):
is what are we getting from them offensively for the
explosive place? What are we getting? I I don't know,
and that really worries me. Crack.

Speaker 1 (01:24:01):
You know our mutual friend Chris Folica, the Bear, who
I've been on text chains with for years, talked to
him for years. We're fans of each other. He watches
his Bunch shows. I watch his He I never met him,
never met the I didn't even know so he went
to Miami? Did you? Obviously you know this son?

Speaker 5 (01:24:21):
Right?

Speaker 4 (01:24:21):
He's my podcast co host? Correct?

Speaker 1 (01:24:23):
No, I know that I'm saying he went to my
I understand wish him. So he went to Miami. So
I heard his breakdown of yeah, of Miami also, and uh,
it just it. You know, you listen to somebody though
that's enamor that knows college football, and I kind of
like I took a lead on this game, which I thought.

(01:24:45):
I made a pretty sudden, substantial size bet, but only
one sportsbook had it here in town. They put up
a seven. Then the market came out, so I bet
the seven. I thought this was going to go to ten.
That's why I bet the seven. I said, oh, you know,
how fine. I don't middle games. I don't bet to
middle but I said, you know, maybe I'll I might
catch a middle here. I don't think the seven is

(01:25:07):
gonna last. The public's gonna be all over Indiana, and
sure enough I got a good sized bet. So now
I'm stuck with it. Right now. Now, I'm not saying
stuck with it. I'm not. It's not going back to seven,
but I'm hoping it's actually gonna go up a little
bit in the publics and I'll grab a nine. I
could have grabbed. I seen them plus ten. I think
it was minus thirty or thirty five, but I can't
lay one thirty five. I just can't lay that big
juice on the other side. So that will So when

(01:25:30):
I heard Chris talk about the breakdown, I, you know,
you automatically a friend, someone you respect, colleague, I automatically
think I gotta get off the side. I'm still going
to keep more. You know, I built a bank roll
up by the way doing this. I had no money.
I was, you know, thirty years ago, I had, you know,
thirty thirty five years ago. I bet h literally one side,

(01:25:52):
and then I knew we had I was in some
really good guys, though, and the line moves and I
bet the other way. I'm middled and scalp my way
to a bet. Now there was no internet, you know,
it was just thinking they were just coming out. So
there was a lot of different opportunities, and I always
kept more on the bad side, so you always kept
more like Indiana minus seven for five thousand, and the

(01:26:14):
other way, I would bet plus four thousand, the other
way plus nine and a half or ten whatever. And
it just seemed like to me, actually I'm wrong, There
does no seem like to me. The facts is, if
I didn't scalp the other side, I would have made
a lot more money than I did because the original
move getting the best of that line made me a

(01:26:35):
lot of money. Now I know over the years closing
line value may not be as important, especially for the
Schwart syndicate.

Speaker 4 (01:26:42):
So I never get yeah yeah zero in my life.

Speaker 1 (01:26:47):
But anyway, I'm gonna get off a little bit, but
I'm gonna keep more on Indiana. So again, let me
give you a little recap here. So we wrap up
the college football season here, ten seed in Miami going
up against number one seed Indiana. Indian and the steam rolled.
They're waying to the championships, dominating Alabama and Oregon combined
score ninety four to twenty five. Miami, on the other hand,

(01:27:09):
they've done it in like dramatic fashion, beating a and
m Ohio State late. Then that wild Gamers old missed
ten days ago. Does their magical run finally end tomorrow? Well,
I don't know, but I would think so. They were
really need to control the clock, keep the ball out
of Indiana's hands in order to have this one to
be close in the fourth quarter. They're probably going to
need to create some turnovers and not turn it over

(01:27:31):
themselves if they want to walk away with an upset.

Speaker 2 (01:27:33):
Here.

Speaker 1 (01:27:33):
Both these teams very experienced employees quarterbacks, So I don't
think the nerves is going to be a factor in
this one. I hope we see a good game, but
if Miami falls behind quickly in this one, they're in
big trouble.

Speaker 4 (01:27:47):
A couple just one quick note on the point spread
in this game, Brian, Yeah, because Chris talks about this
a lot on our podcast. The point spread has actually
not mattered very much in the championship game. Just pick
the winning side is either wins and covers if they're
the favorite, or the underdog wins outright. So you're not

(01:28:09):
getting a lot of underdogs losing and covering in the
championship game. Just just not the way it works. So
if you like Miami, take their money line, I would
take them. I don't. I don't think Miami is losing
by three. I think they're winning or Indiana is winning
by a log I don't see like a close. These
games haven't been closed into our appointment Indiana. Indiana mostly
strangles teams out right, like like if you think this

(01:28:31):
is going to be a game where you know it's
it's close like that, Miami probably probably wins. So I
also I attacked one prop, well two props, and you
got to you gotta kind of find these and again
they'll pop up a little bit. I think Tony is
gonna have over five and a half receptions from Miami
and he has to the young freshman. Yeah, Indiana's Indiana's

(01:28:53):
tight end. I got him over seventeen and a half
receiving yards. He's been over this number six straight games.
And Miami allows a lot of yards at the points
in titles because their secondary is really good. Their linebackers
can't cover. So just sort of like that's the sort
of markets I'm looking to play. I think this number
gets back down to seven and a half and I
will probably take Indiana at some point live or at seven.

Speaker 1 (01:29:16):
So you got I noticed Brian said that earlier. Did
you get? So you guys think that no money comes
in a little bit. I do a little bit.

Speaker 3 (01:29:22):
I don't think as much. No, I don't know. Maybe
it was a question I was thrown at Christian or something,
but oh, you know, I'm opposed to the short syndicate
on this one. I just don't there Now, there could
be sharp money. To Jeff's point, there could be some
some late sharp money and they're just like you.

Speaker 1 (01:29:39):
Know, explained. It is true.

Speaker 3 (01:29:40):
There are some guys that are, like, my line is six,
so I'm all over Miami plus eight and a half.
I could see some sharp people doing that at the
last second. So yeah, I mean it's it's not out
of the question that it hikes toward Miami a little bit.
But I don't think it's gonna move that much. That's
just Chris. I don't think it's gonna I don't.

Speaker 1 (01:29:59):
Think it'll through that moment.

Speaker 4 (01:30:00):
Even with the last two games, last three games, the
steam was on their opponent to kickoff, like people are
betting it's Indiana.

Speaker 1 (01:30:07):
Jeff said that earlier. That's right.

Speaker 4 (01:30:08):
Yeah, I mean the money was on organ late, the
money was on Bama Ley, and the money was in
Ohio state late.

Speaker 3 (01:30:13):
We bet on the betting line. That's what we should do. Like,
what's it gonna close that?

Speaker 1 (01:30:18):
I think the public BET's Indiana? How about that?

Speaker 3 (01:30:20):
I do do I think that? Yeah, I just think
it's too much public money that's just going to be
pouring it in, pouring in on IU.

Speaker 1 (01:30:26):
Especially the local casinos. These local guys, boy, the local
pub it's amazing as being in one yesterday. The locals
just are It's it's amazing sometimes how the local crowd
and you see the local line compared to like the strip,
the casinos on the strip, and let's use let's use MGM.
So you use the casinos on the strip compared to

(01:30:47):
some of the local casinos. Sometimes you can really find
the difference and you see why they're wearing their emotions
on the sleeve. They're screaming, yelling, throwing things. I mean,
it's it's it's it's very interesting, that's all I'll say.
You know.

Speaker 3 (01:31:00):
So, uh, hopefully we're able to agree on this. But
Malachai Tony, who's a fantastic wide receiver. They line them
up in what is for sure the worst name in
sports history. Okay, instead of the wildcat, it is.

Speaker 1 (01:31:13):
The Mallee Cat.

Speaker 3 (01:31:15):
Yay, the Mallee Cat. I watch out for the Malley Cat.
Like every time they they say that, they I'm like,
oh my gosh, can we rename this thing? Please? What
are we doing over here?

Speaker 4 (01:31:27):
But so I despise a wildcat in general.

Speaker 5 (01:31:30):
You do.

Speaker 3 (01:31:30):
Yeah, I've got a good friend who hates all things wildcat.

Speaker 4 (01:31:34):
I don't like it. So, I mean I I know
Miami does it, and they might do in this game,
get him some touches they need.

Speaker 3 (01:31:40):
They might.

Speaker 4 (01:31:41):
I just don't. Look, I find it so funny that
Indiana is so good that people have just gone with
they must be cheating.

Speaker 3 (01:31:50):
Oh that's so much that often here yesterday, it's so bad.

Speaker 4 (01:31:54):
I will tell you though. Look, I've heard from enough
people that the coaches believe something's happening.

Speaker 2 (01:32:04):
I don't.

Speaker 4 (01:32:05):
I don't personally don't feel that way. But they are
so prepared.

Speaker 3 (01:32:11):
They seem to know the checks to the checks are
like conspiracy.

Speaker 4 (01:32:16):
They seem to like know a lot of what's happening,
Like the.

Speaker 3 (01:32:20):
Locker room is bugged, we're going Patriots style.

Speaker 7 (01:32:23):
This is what.

Speaker 4 (01:32:23):
This is what coaches believe. I think it's I just
think they're good, Like that's my assessment. Yea, yeah, But
there are coaches that think that something's happening, and I
hope not. And I don't think that's happening. I don't
think anyone can approving. Yeah people, yeah, I mean not
like by but like people on social media have talked

(01:32:44):
about it and and and their coaches have refuted it
by way, like like one of their coaches like gets
on their their DC is pretty active on social media.
He he made a comment about it. Again, I don't
think it's true, but I think they're they're breaking the
way college football has been won for so many years
now that people are starting to think like there's no
way this is actually happening like the way it should. Yeah,
and that's where people at right now.

Speaker 3 (01:33:05):
It's just bad. I think it's just such a bad take.
Like I thought it was more so along the line,
so it just doesn't make any sense. I thought it
was more so, you know, like the players they have
where they.

Speaker 4 (01:33:16):
No people are talking about them like like like hacking
the cloud and stuff and taking information off the cloud
and looking at opening scripts and practice and stuff. Because
now some of it's bad faiths, like the internet's gone
with Well, they have foreign interception, they're opening drive, which
they do, but two of those are like scrambles and
tip passes, like they're not the same as Like I
read the exact play in the Organ game. Thought they

(01:33:38):
were just made a bad disorderit, like that's not like.

Speaker 3 (01:33:40):
It, like you pointed out on the other side the fumble,
Like look at the fumble at their own three yard
line where he hits his own running back and fumbles
like that has nothing to do with the cloud, Like,
what are we talking about?

Speaker 4 (01:33:53):
I'm with you, but it's just it's interesting to see
like that, this is where it's gone because they're doing
something so impressed.

Speaker 3 (01:34:01):
Yeah, listen, I get that you're trying to come up
with some type of explanation for it, but it's just
it's God, do we need perfect the storm? Man, it's
the absolute perfect storm here, and it's rich for some
of these Like the first people who cry, oh, foes
in the house.

Speaker 4 (01:34:21):
No, let him know. Yeah, my kids just got back
from skiing, so they're they're.

Speaker 3 (01:34:27):
But the first people who cry cheating are typically the
worst cheaters, you know what I mean? Like that it's
commonly how it works. Oh they must be cheating. It's
like I I'm I'm looking right at you as a
possible like keen cheater myself. Like that's typically the way
it works. But in this game, I'll just add a
couple of notes here real fast, Like for Miami to

(01:34:48):
keep it close, I have a chance to win it.
I think it's two things beyond like limit your own mistakes,
which is obvious. It's I think Defensively, it's all about Havoc.
It's Havoc. It's bang, it's Mesador, it's the pass rush,
it's the front four. It's knocking Mendoza around, like rattle
him a little bit. If you can do that, hey
maybe you got something to work with.

Speaker 1 (01:35:09):
Right there.

Speaker 3 (01:35:11):
I think havoc is is huge and then offensive, but
you got to be able to run the ball effectively.
That's that's been their formula. Mark Fletcher Junior, He's reminded
me of Derek Henry numerous times, just his running style
and against Ole Missy'd hit the edge and I'm like,
holy call, it's like Derek Henry at Alabama right there.

Speaker 4 (01:35:28):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (01:35:28):
But if they if they can get Fletcher Junior going
like they typically have, then then they've got something to
work with and potentially build upon. But if they don't
have Havoc plays, if they're not running the ball effectively,
this could get ugly real fast.

Speaker 4 (01:35:44):
I just Miami's got if I'm supposed to play somewhere. Yeah,
And you know the Hendy Mendoza thing is does are
just he gets the ball so quickly. Sometimes it's just
so hard. They have to be really good on first
down it's it's it wasn't surprising if Indiana just won
this game the way they've been winning all games. Just
I just that would surprise me. But obviously it's a
lot of the games are played.

Speaker 3 (01:36:05):
That's the crazy thing too, is it's not like Miami's
going into this game like let's cover the spread, guys.
Obviously they're trying to win the game. And that's the
thing with IU, man, like they just don't. They don't
present great opportunities for their opponent to win the game.
Like they limit their own mistakes. They capitalize on your mistakes.
I think we go a little bit too far. I've

(01:36:26):
heard quite a few times where it's like Indiana forces
all these mistakes.

Speaker 1 (01:36:31):
No, they don't.

Speaker 3 (01:36:31):
You know, like Dante more hit his running back like that,
he made a couple of bad plays on his own.
They're not forcing everything, but they take advantage of almost
everything they get. That's what they do a great job of. Man,
they are opportunistic and they cash it in.

Speaker 1 (01:36:46):
You know, when we came on air, one of the
key sports books that really controls the market, they were
minus eight minus a dollar eleven on Indiana, kind of
just shading the eight because it's mostly everyone's eight and
a half BETMGM, everyone's eight and a half. So but
they had eight now as we speak. It's funny how
we're talking about it and we're moving. It keeps on

(01:37:07):
moving down eight minus ten to nine. Then we're at
the seven. Now it's six. So there is the key
sports book that makes the lines. They're already shaded at
the eight. Now it's minus six, basically meaning that Miami
money has been trickling in in the last two hours.
So this can be interesting. This can be seeing that key.

(01:37:30):
It's on a Sunday, though it's not the day of
the game, but this is a sports book that takes
six figures on a bet, by the way, so it's
interesting to see that they're at minus eight minus o
six when the entire world is minus eight and a half.

Speaker 3 (01:37:42):
Okay, let's do something for fun here. Let's guess, you know,
one minute before kickoff, what the final line is going
to be on bet MGM. What do you say?

Speaker 4 (01:37:51):
Jokay, I think it's an eight. I think it hit
seven and a half. It goes back to eight.

Speaker 3 (01:37:56):
Okay, you crack.

Speaker 1 (01:37:57):
I'm going to say eight and a half where it
is now?

Speaker 3 (01:37:59):
Yeah, I think it's gonna be eight and a half.

Speaker 4 (01:38:02):
Myself, I think we'll get I think we'll get a
seven and a half on Monday, and maybe even like
a seven minus whatever one thirty, like you can if
you wanted it, you could have it. But that's and
then it goes back and I should take in the
seven crack when you text us about the seven, that
would have been a good bit.

Speaker 1 (01:38:19):
And I say that because the the the sports betting
is not in Miami is not right.

Speaker 3 (01:38:26):
That's a big deal at point.

Speaker 1 (01:38:28):
Just I just think it stays at the eight and
a half. There won't be a lot of Florida money
coming in obviously I bet MGM, But there won't be
a lot of Florida money coming in the home state
where other states, you know, have the sports betting. I
mean they'll get down, trust me. People in Florida. They
are giant sports better. You know. It's funny that these
places that aren't, like you said, California and Florida, California,

(01:38:50):
those beach towns, they all bet this Bookie's everywhere. You
don't think Florida is the same exact thing Florida. These
are all New Yorkers and you're on fire.

Speaker 4 (01:39:03):
There's one book there, right, but it's like you have
to be in like brick and mortar, you have to
like yes, right.

Speaker 1 (01:39:07):
Yeah, they have an app, but it's tough, it's it's
not the easiest one. Yeah, so they have one choice
there the Uh so the Indians have the monopoly there
of course. Yeah, California too, but there's not but it's
not you can't bet sports in California at all, so
legally anyway, right, yeah, but there you go.

Speaker 3 (01:39:26):
There are ways, they're ways crack not legal ways, but there.

Speaker 4 (01:39:29):
There's never goes everywhere here.

Speaker 3 (01:39:32):
Yeah, we've got Bill Krachenberger, professional sports handicapper, Jeff Schwartz,
eight year NFL veteran, I'm Brian.

Speaker 5 (01:39:38):
No.

Speaker 3 (01:39:38):
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(01:40:22):
betmgm app. Ever, It's easier than ever to find the
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(01:40:42):
the Rams against the Fugazy Bears, and that is the nightcap,
and that is the final game of the divisional round
right here, and we're looking at dub Bears. They are
home dogs by three and a half points. And listen,
all three of us have been outspoken and really against
the Bears. I just don't think their formula for success

(01:41:04):
is even halfway sustainable. It's really that simple, you know,
Like I don't take away any credit from them getting
to this point, you know, like their formula has worked
to this point, but going forward, I just don't see
how this is sustainable at all. You just go back
to last week. They scored twenty five points in the
fourth quarter alone, Like they left out that Brandon McManus

(01:41:25):
forgot how to kick, missed two field goals and an
extra point. His quote was tremendous, like he's crushing himself
for that horrible performance. He's like, this is the worst
performance ever, certainly in my kicking career. I'm paraphrasing that's
basically what he said, and it's like, I just don't
see how that's gonna how you're gonna maintain that. And

(01:41:46):
the one thing I'll say is this, I think this
is also the secret sauce of the Bears vampire ways
you're coming back from all these deficits. Their opponents get conservative,
and I don't think that's a mistake that the Rams
would make if they get up, and if they get
up big, I just don't see how they're like, all right,
let's let's shrink the game, let's try to run the ball,

(01:42:08):
let's not take any risks with the MVP and Matthew Stafford.
I just think mcvay's going to be too smart for that.
And the Packers were dumb like second half after hot
knife through butter in the first half, second half, three
and out, three and out, five and out, three and out,
they got conservative. I don't think the Rams would make
the same mistakes. So I just don't buy the Bears

(01:42:28):
going forward. Man, It's that simple.

Speaker 4 (01:42:31):
And the Rams will, I think, just run the ball
till they can't run the ball anymore, which is not
what is all what the Packers tried to do in
that game, which I thought was again to our point,
like not a smart way to conduct business. And the
only I can only concern is this, Brian, is that
the Rams. I'm trying to propency to blow a lot

(01:42:52):
of leads this season, the forty nine Ers game, the
Eagles game, the Rams game, and almost the Carolina game.
And that's what the Bears have done, right. They have
this never say die attitude because they don't die, right,
they haven't died. So that's my concern is, like I
wonder if there's a way to play the way I'm
playing this game. I like Rams first half minus two

(01:43:13):
and a half, and I think taking the Bears live
at some point is something that I'm gonna be. Look,
I'm gonna look to.

Speaker 1 (01:43:20):
Do for the game.

Speaker 4 (01:43:22):
Yeah, like maybe like Ramsey get ten nothing, what are
you gonna get fourteen and a half? Something like that.

Speaker 3 (01:43:29):
I don't know, something I don't know to get that high.
The Bears wouldn't be that high.

Speaker 4 (01:43:33):
Something like you know, I look for something like that crack,
like like a double digit number of some sort on
the Bears. I did that last week. I had the
Packers money line, and then I took the Bears at
some point plus something five and a half or four
and a half. I was like this, I don't like that.
I don't like this right now. I don't like this.
So I took it for half, like I took like
we talked about sort of like a middle. Look, it
was like a middle. I just took it for half,

(01:43:54):
and so I think that that is what I'm how
I'm gonna attack this game from a line perspective.

Speaker 1 (01:44:00):
Sure, okay, well listen, I have been on that same
train saying about the Bears. This is ridiculous. I bet
I'm not to make the playoffs. I mean, let me
tell you something. If they win this game, they're not
fagezy anymore. I got to just think, hey, enough enough,
I've been doubting the all. I think we've all been

(01:44:20):
a lot of people. I do like thirteen shows a week.
I can't tell you anyone to tell oh no, I
the Bears also nobody. So every week, like I said,
I come on and talk about them being a fraud.
But I want to tell you though the one went
away from the NFC Championship, I really can't say that anymore.
If that happens today. They pulled a rabbit out of

(01:44:41):
the hat again last week, though, with the magical Lake
heroics from Williams. I have to give it to him
at this point. So it's only a second year, it
really has showed poise in those moments late in the game.
This year. You have to credit Ben Johnson for sure,
because last year Williams just did not make the right
place late in the game and look confused at times.

(01:45:02):
So I have to give the coach credit. I have
to give Williams credit. What a different what a different year.
What a year makes. So if they fall behind a
few scores against this Rams team, I do not think
they can pull off that big comeback like they have
all season. Though the Rams team very experienced great all
around coaching staff, I just don't see them blowing a

(01:45:22):
big lead here today. However, the Bears have a good
running game, so I expect them to try to establish
that early on and keep the ball out in the
hands of Stafford and the Rams offense. Stafford has really
found the fount in the youth this season. He had
his best season in his seventeen year career, probably gonna
win the MVP. This is a guy back in the
preseason that the word was they didn't know if he

(01:45:43):
was gonna even gonna play, so I mean they thought
he was hurting it so that this guy is just
amazing this season. Bears weakness all year has been their defense,
so it'd be interested to see how they attack the
Rams today. Will they send a bunch of pressure and
blitzes today or drop back in his own coverage and
hope the Rams don't burn them deep. I hope to

(01:46:03):
see a good one here. Everyone excited to see how
this one plays out, and look looking forward to it.

Speaker 3 (01:46:09):
Well, that's the thing too, is I think you got
to look at this spot in particular, like crack you
and all the pros will tell you it's a spot,
the spot, the spot, the spot, right like that's so important,
And you look at the spot for the Rams if
they're able to get a lead, if they're able to
get a decent sized lead. It just happened again last

(01:46:31):
week where the Bears are down by eighteen points at
halftime and came back in one. Like if you're talking
about being on ultra high alert preventing that from happening again,
it's this game today, you know, in this spot. Like
you go back to Kurt Signetti, the IU head coach.

(01:46:52):
He preached this at halftime of the Oregon game. It's like,
the score is zero zero. We got to execute in
the second half. We got to stay again of like
YadA YadA. That's the way the Rams have to attack this.
If they're able to get a lead, and my hunches,
they will you. I don't know that they're gonna win
it with their defense because I don't trust their secondary.
Their secondary isn't very good at all. You win it

(01:47:13):
by staying aggressive offensively this Bears defense sucks as long
as you stay aggressive, not gambling, you know, not putting
the ball in harm's way. Be be smart yet aggressive,
but don't lose your edge. Don't lose your aggressiveness. They're
gonna win this game if they do that. But that's
all about the spot. Like, I don't care about the

(01:47:34):
Rams and in this other game or that other game.
It's it's against this team today, and I think high
alert against the Bears. Man, you've got to stay aggressive offensively.
I think they will.

Speaker 4 (01:47:45):
I think that's a good point, Brian, where like this
is the m O now obviously for the Bears and
the Rams going this game knowing that, and you have
to think that. And and Magdayahs shown in the past
he's perfectly fine being aggressive all game, right and that
just you just keep you keep or can you keep
grinding away? And that does feel like what they would
do in this game? And the Bears run defense is

(01:48:06):
this not good? So they can run the ball. In
my opinion, Plagg should pass. I mean, I think there's
opportunities for some of these tight ends to have catchers
for the Rams as well. Maybe you take a tight
end over receptions or something like that. The problem is
they have three tight ends, so which one do you choose.

Speaker 1 (01:48:23):
To have that?

Speaker 4 (01:48:24):
But it does feel like if the Rams decide to
play this game like they should, they should win this game.
And the cold I'm not as concerned about it as
the rest of the country is. I think the Brams
will be just fine. Yep.

Speaker 3 (01:48:39):
And you know something else, crack, I think something that's
being completely glossed over. The Bears had a couple of
key injuries last week against the Packers. They lost their
left tackle, they lost one of their linebackers gone. You
got to back up left tackle in today like that.
That's not great. That's not great when you're trying to
establish the run, you know, win the battle at the

(01:48:59):
line of scrimmage. It's not great to be down your
left tackle, and especially if you're trying to come from behind,
and you know it's past situations like listen, it could
take one sack to wreck a drive and if you're
down by double digits, like, I just don't see it happening, man,
I don't I see the end of the line for
the Fugayze Bears right here.

Speaker 4 (01:49:18):
I would hope. So then I will take the Rams.

Speaker 3 (01:49:21):
Next week Yeah, looking forward to that.

Speaker 4 (01:49:23):
Yeah, sure, opportunity to do that. I will gladly take
the Rams next weekend.

Speaker 3 (01:49:27):
Yeah, in that game.

Speaker 4 (01:49:28):
So hopefully we get the opportunity for that to happen
because I we have Bear Seahawks.

Speaker 3 (01:49:33):
Oh jeez, yeah, no feeling. That isn't that crazy If
you guys look at just what the playoff picture is
in each conference right now. Like the NFC. Okay, you
got the Seahawks, ridiculous defense, really good running game as
of late, they present a lot of problems. Number one
seed Rams. Many have thought they're the best team in
the entire league for most of the season. And you

(01:49:55):
got the Fugayze Bears, but you know, they've been the
vampires of the NFL all these comeback wins. Compare that
to the AFC. You got the Broncos without Bo Nicks,
got a backup QB in there who hasn't thrown a
pass since twenty twenty three. You got the Patriots, who
I think are good, but they're like a newborn baby,
right And you have the Texans who have a nasty defense,
but an average offense and very shaky quarterback play as

(01:50:17):
of late. That's what it's Broncos, Patriots, Texans. If I
gave you like ten picks, I don't know that you
come up with those three teams with ten picks.

Speaker 1 (01:50:27):
And what happens to Kansas City and Philadelphia and even Buffalo? Right,
what happens to the big names? Their reigns are over?

Speaker 4 (01:50:34):
Yeah?

Speaker 3 (01:50:34):
Isn't that wild?

Speaker 1 (01:50:35):
Right, Brian?

Speaker 3 (01:50:36):
And that's where we're at.

Speaker 4 (01:50:37):
You were like, if the Chiefs just happened to like
sneak in, they'd be the favorite, like easily be the favorite?
Like is it crazy? Like that's right. You're down to
Jared Stidham, Drake May, c J. Stroud on the AFC side, yep,
and then the NFC side Stafford and Darnold and Caleb Williams.
I mean, it's that's why the Rams to me, just
have the advantage from quarterback perspective, Right, you just a

(01:50:59):
quarterback coach. You're not gonna beat it. You're not gonna
beat it the rest of the of the teams left
in the playoffs.

Speaker 1 (01:51:05):
The networks can't be happy here. The more I think
about it, the networks really can't be happy with without
those big names, and you got one quarterback, Stafford. The
networks really can't be happy with these these these games,
I would think for advertisers and stuff, especially going to
the Super Bowl.

Speaker 3 (01:51:21):
Yeah, but it's kind of like, ah, man, the smoking
hot blonde is busy tonight. I guess I'll have to
go out with the smoking hot brunette. That's really where
they right, Like the networks are. It just sells itself. Man,
I get your point cracked, Like there are better matchups
out there, right, but the matchups that they have, their
ratings are just gonna be And the games.

Speaker 1 (01:51:40):
Have been good besides the Seattle game, the games have
been really good, real competitive fun.

Speaker 3 (01:51:45):
That's right. So like that's the last thing I think
of is are we going to have four divisional round
favorites like all advance? Yeah, we had two favorites yesterday.
Are we going to have the Patriots and the and
the Rams not covering the spread but just you know,
just win winning and advancing? Right, Like, which do you

(01:52:06):
give a better chance? Do you give the Texans on
the road or the Bears at home pulling off the upside?

Speaker 4 (01:52:11):
The Texans?

Speaker 3 (01:52:12):
You go Texans? You crack?

Speaker 1 (01:52:13):
What do you think? Yeah, I'm gonna go to Texans too,
based on their defense and defense wins big games and
big moments, and I'm gonna say the Texans too.

Speaker 3 (01:52:21):
Okay, yep, yeah, I get why you would say that,
no doubt.

Speaker 1 (01:52:25):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (01:52:26):
By the way, last last thing before we get to
oh we got we got I low. Oh here, get
it in there. Let's get I low in here, I low.
Just bazil us with your brilliance.

Speaker 6 (01:52:37):
I will thanks to all the story lines that are
emerging out of the NFL, never a dull moment, starting
with Broncos quarterback Bone Nicks having to miss the rest
of the playoffs after breaking a bone in his ankle
in overtime yesterday's thirty three to thirty win over the Bills.
Jared Stidham will take over as the Broncos starting quarterback,

(01:52:57):
Denver fans hoping he can become the Jeff Hostetler of
the New Millennium Now. The Broncos won thanks in part
to that controversial overtime interception j Kwan McMillan tearing the
ball away from Buffalo's Brandon Cooks. The referee for the game,
Carl Sheffers, told a poll reporter Cook's quote was going
to the ground as part of the process of the

(01:53:18):
catch and lost possession of the ball. The defender gained
possession and is the one that completed the process of
the catch unquote. Now, long after Buffalo head coach Sean
McDermott held his postgame news conference, he read those comments
from the Pool report while on the team plane, and

(01:53:38):
from the team plane, Sean McDermott called Jay Skersky of
the Buffalo News and said the following quote, that's a
catch all the way, I sat in my locker and
I looked at it probably twenty times, and nobody can
convince me that the ball is not caught and in
possession of Buffalo. I have no idea how the NFL

(01:54:01):
handled it the way that they did. There's no time
spent with the head official going to the monitor. I
don't understand how that works. I don't understand how that
could be the case when it's such a close play.
So basically there is one person ruling on that play,
or only New York ruling on that play. I don't
agree with that. I don't understand why the head official

(01:54:23):
who is at the game does not get a chance
to look at the same thing people in New York
are ruling on unquote. Again, that all said by Sean
McDermott to Jay Skersky of the Buffalo News from the
Bills team plane elsewhere. On Saturday night, Seahawks over the
forty nine Ers forty one to six. The Atlanta Falcons

(01:54:44):
hired former Cleveland Brown's head coach Kevin Stefanski as their
new head coach, and the Pittsburgh Steelers are expected to
speak with former Packers and Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy
about their head coaching job. Guys back to years.

Speaker 3 (01:54:58):
Sean McDermott should be f hired immediately for bad logic,
cause that that should be the case. He should be gone.
Like you just don't understand what a catches, dude. You
just told this point, like I don't know what it catches.
That's all that was supposed to say. Though, not that
like that, Like I know he's trying to fight for
his team, but he's like, that's a catch all the wait, No,
it isn't. No one can convince me, Okay, you're whatever.

(01:55:21):
You're gonna be bull headed on this one. It's not
a catch. Like you have to complete the process of
the catch for it to be a catch. He never
did that. It's not a catch by Brandon Cooks and
we had the over on that, and it would have
been great if it was a catch. We lost money
on that. I wanted it to be a catch, yep,
you know, but it was not. It was not a catch.

(01:55:44):
So like, I don't know that theatrics and no one
can convince me that's a catch all that we know
it isn't. You're being an idiot, Sean McDermott. That's the truth. Hey,
we've got Bill Krackenberger, professional sports handicapper. Jeff Schwartz, eight
year NFL veteran. I'm probably in no left college basketball.
Gear up for another exciting season of college ball with
a special offer from BETMGM. Sign into your betmgm account

(01:56:05):
and enjoy a college basketball odds Boost token to snag
even more winnings on your next bet. Log into the
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Very nice, all right? Coming up next, we get a
couple of rapid fire picks and cracks. Play of the

(01:56:26):
day no crack challenge.

Speaker 1 (01:56:28):
We showed it here.

Speaker 3 (01:56:29):
You know, limited games here, so we'll make do with.

Speaker 1 (01:56:32):
What we do have left.

Speaker 3 (01:56:33):
That's coming up. It is Fox Sports Radios Countdown to
Kickoff presented by BETMGM. It is Fox Sports Radios Countdown
to Kickoff, presented by bet MGM. If you missed any
of today's show, you'll want to catch the podcast. Just
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after the show, today's pod will be posted. Be sure
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(01:56:53):
even provide a review. Again. Just search Fox Sports Radio
wherever you get your podcasts, and you'll find today's full
sh jo posted right after we get off the air.
Props to the crew, our trusted producer Bo Benson the
Dodger Zone pod is they continue to take over the
world and sign everybody who's anybody. The technical producer extraordinaire

(01:57:15):
on this show, that would be Chris Purfett. Shout out
to Isaac Low and Kron crushing the updates and crushing life.
And also another shout out to our guy Sager on
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It's right there top of the hour, End Zone Radio,
little Steve Hartman VJ Husky action in just eight American minutes.

(01:57:40):
Keep it locked right here on Fox Sports Radio. All Right,
we got some picks to make.

Speaker 1 (01:57:43):
Let's do it.

Speaker 4 (01:57:47):
Rapid fire.

Speaker 3 (01:57:49):
All right, crackmeister, we start with you. What's something you like?

Speaker 1 (01:57:52):
Well, what else is it going to be? It's going
to be a prop. Let's go with the bears in
Zoon day by saying his name right, always his name,
June's day. There you go under two and a half still,
Endyam still has under two and a half. Even so
that's that's where we're gonna go with. There there's a
star for you. I got more drops too, though, but
that's one from half right Santa Crack.

Speaker 4 (01:58:13):
Yeah, the first half unduring in New England and Houston's
moved nineteen and a half. It came about twenty and
a half earlier in the show, so maybe wait to
see if that bounces back a little bit. I also
like rams first half as well, and me get the
exact number for you right now. That's bounced all over
this week as this number has moved a little bit.
It was two and a half and of course my

(01:58:33):
computer is not working. It is still two and a half,
So Wene rams mine is two and a half for
the first half.

Speaker 1 (01:58:39):
I like that.

Speaker 3 (01:58:39):
I bet that already, Jeff. I think it's a good pick.

Speaker 5 (01:58:43):
You know what.

Speaker 3 (01:58:45):
I'm putting it into play over here?

Speaker 5 (01:58:48):
C J.

Speaker 3 (01:58:48):
Stroud over nine and a half yards rushing. Okay, I
know he didn't do anything last week, but it just
makes sense the sport, the spot makes sense. No, Nico Collins.
The don't have a ferocious defense, you know, in terms
of their pass rush. But is am I supposed to believe?

Speaker 5 (01:59:05):
C J.

Speaker 3 (01:59:05):
Stroups is gonna sit in the pocket ball game long
and throw it to Xavier Hutchinson and whoever else he has.
It's gonna be the steady doh. Christian Kirk He's oh,
Xavier Hudgets, Oh, Jalen Knowle, He's no. He's gonna tuck
it and run a handful of times today. I look
for him to get to at least ten yards rushing.

Speaker 1 (01:59:23):
I like that.

Speaker 3 (01:59:24):
Let's get to Cracks play of the day, shall we.
Let's do this.

Speaker 2 (01:59:29):
This is the best play of the day.

Speaker 7 (01:59:31):
Adownit?

Speaker 3 (01:59:33):
Man, all right, Crack, what do you have for us?

Speaker 1 (01:59:35):
I got a couple for you. Guys. One. I didn't
give you guys yet, so you'll know now. But Henderson
I gave you earlier in the week Trayvon Henderson under
eight and a half plus one twenty Now I kind
of like that because of the plus money. And I
want to give you guys a new one. How about
I see over MGM Tyler Higbee twenty two and a
half yards minus one fifteen under. So there you go,
there's an extra one there.

Speaker 3 (01:59:56):
Yeah, all right, got some day. He gave us nigby
Santa Crack the I did early in the weekend.

Speaker 1 (02:00:01):
I didn't give it to the guys here.

Speaker 3 (02:00:02):
No, that's good. That's going to give it to America
right there and beyond. You know, I heard radio app
You could be listening in Budapest right now, you know.
Enjoy the ball.

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